The Sun.
London, England, 1844-05-20 00:00:00

FATAL OCCURRENCE.-THREE
LIVES LOST.

Last night, between eight and nine o'clock, the most painful
excitement was produced in the neighbourhood of London-
bridge and Fresh-wharf; in consequence of a distressing acci-
dent, involving the loss of three lives, occurring on the river
at the foot of London-bridge steps. It appears that at about
half past eight o'clock a boat under the charge of the son of a
waterman, named Williamson, a young man about eighteen
years of age, pushed off from the stairs on the City side of
London-bridge, with about eleven boys (under the age of
twelve years) and three girls, intending to take them to the
Custom-house. The boat had not reached ten or a dozen yards
from the stairs, before she came athwart the tide, which was
running down very fast, and she was carried with great vio-
lence against the bows of the Diamond steamer, moored off
Fresh wharf. Had they kept their seats, in all probability
nothing further would have happened, but unfortunately the
whole got up, and instantly the boat went down stern fore-
most, precipitating all of them into the water. The acci-
dent being observed by many hundreds of persons assembled
on the bridge, and on the different steam-boat piers, the ex-
citement that ensued was of a character easily conceived.
Fortunately a man having charge of the dumb-lighters in
front of Fresh-wharf was standing at the bow of the Diamond
steamer at the time. He threw overboard ropes and other
floatable articles for the children to lay hold of. Most of
them rose to the surface, and eleven, including the waterman,
were with great difficulty saved ; but the remainder (some
say three, and others six) were drowned. Among them are
known to be two girls (one 16 and the other 18 years of age),
and also a boy eight years of age, whose parents are living
in Milton-street. Those saved were in a most exhausted
state. They were all immediately conveyed to the Royal
Humane Society-house—the New Castle, in Lower Thames-
street—where they received all possible assistance. Drags
were directly put into requisition, and search was made for
the bodies of those drowned, but, up to eleven o'clock, none
of them had been discovered.

THE FACTORIES BILL.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
Stn,—ln your paper of Wednesday evening, May 15, in a
list purporting to contain the names of those whose aid was
withheld from Lord Ashley, on Monday last, May 18, you
mention the names of the Hon. Colonel Butler, and kr.
Fitzstephen French.
Colonel Butler paired on that occasion with Mr. 'Williams,
the Member for Great Marlow, in favour of the Ten Hours'
Amendment, and Mr. French, to my knowledge, voted for
Lord Ashley in company with myself.—other newspapers,
particularly the Sunday ones, have copied these erroneous
statements; and as public opinion is rather strong upon this
question, they would do well to rectify these and other such
inaccuracies.—l am, Sir, your obedient servant,
No. 3, Queen-square, Saturday. P. S. BUTLER, M.P.

LADY PEEL'S ASSEMDLY.—On Saturday night
Lady Peel had an assembly at the family mansion in White-
hall-gardens. The splendid picture gallery and the several
saloons opening en suite on the first story, were thrown open
for the reception, and brilliantly illuminated. His Serene
Highness Prince Edward of Saxe Weimar and the following
personages of rank and fashion were present :—The French.
Ambassador and Countess de Ste. Aulaire, the Turkish Am-
bassador, Baron Nieumann, the Russian Minister and
Baroness Brunnow, and Mademoiselle Olga de Lechner, Prince
Castelcicala, the Belgian Minister and Madame Van de
Weyer, M. Dedel, Baron de Cetto, the Danish Minister and
Countess Reventlow, Count Pollen, Countess Bjornstjema,
the Venezuelean Minister, the Brazilian Minister and the
Marchioness de Lisboa, the American Minister, Mrs. Everett
and Miss Everett, the Portuguese Minister and Baroness
Moncorvo, Baron Hugel, the Alexican Minister and Mrs.
Murphy, Baron Koller, Count Jarnac, Baron Scheoppingk,
Count Rosen, Baron Brockdorff, Baron Bremer, Baron
Bjornstierna, and the Dukes—Buccleuth, Montrose. Duch-
esses—Northumberland, Buccleuch, Montrose. Marquises
—Douro, Huntly, Ailesbury, Normanby, Ormonde, Salis-
bury, Kildare. Marchionesses—Aylesbury, Douro, Ormonde.
Earls—Devon, Normanton Jersey, Delawarr, Beverley,
Besborough,'Haddington, Kinnoull, Clarendon, Winchilsea,
Powis, Sheffield, Dartmouth. Countesses—Jersey, Delawarr,
Beverley, Haddington, Kinnoull, Clarendon, Nelson, Powis,
Dowager Mansfield, Wilton, Dartmouth. Viscounts—
Ossulston, Melville, Strangford, Parker, Sydney, Villiers,
Adare, Mahon, Hawarden, Clive, Ingestre. Viscountesses—
Adare, Sydney, Parker, Villiers, Mahon, Beresford, Maynard,
Ashbrooke. Lords—Prudhoe, Redesdale, John Manners,
Charles Wellesley; and above 300 other persons of rank
and fashion.
Mr. Colvile, M.P. for South Derbyshire, is, it is
understood, is to be the new Master of the Atherstone Hounds, ,
in the room of E. Applewhaite, Esq.
REDUCTION IN THE ROYAL HOUSEHOLD.—It is
not to be concealed that there is growing up a feeling of un-
easiness, if not discontent, about the reductions that are
constantly taking place in the Royal household. We allude
to the subject reluctantly, but, we hope, with a proper sense
of the delicacy with which it should be treated. The whole
case, reduced to figures, seems to resolve itself into the fol-
lowing particulars :—lndependently of the personal income
of the Sovereign and her Consort, of the augmentation of
Prince Albert's allowance by about 10,0001. a-year, derivable
from places and appointments conferred upon him by the
Queen, and of the large revenue drawn from the Duchy
of Cornwall for the use of the Prince of Wales, an annual sum
of 375,000/. is granted by Parliament for the maintenance of
the customary splendour of the Court. We have never heard a
single objection taken to the amount of that grant. On the con-
trary, we believe, if it were required, Parliament would at any
moment be prepared to increase it—the special purposes for
which it was originally designed being, of course, always kept in
view. Now, of that sum of 375,000/. per annum, reductions have
been effected to the amount of 25,000/. The rage for retrench-
ment which appears to have set in with the income-tax has
reached the Palace itself, and equerries, riding-misty
Pe°P le!is,
chamber-pages, and all sorts of gold and silver
waiting have been cut down to meet the eczon?rp
been
spirit of the times. If a saving to the country
o_ha2ds,ooo
positively accomplished by this reduction r
' vance
of the country to complain ; but the popular grievance
con-
sists in the somewhat anomalous fact, that this very reduc-
tion will absolutely entail an increased burden upon the
public. The persons whose services are thus dropped out of
ao tu present
se
such
1.
the Royal household must be pensioned ; but the pensions
per annum, it would be very ungracious on the part
are not to be paid out of the amount saved by their reduc-
tion, but are to constitute a fresh charge upon the national
teheposadsoepssti
Treasury. The consequence will be that the public expen-
diture, instead of being diminished by this 25,0001. a-year,
will, in fact, be augmented by the amount of the pensions.
on the subject distinctly points. Perhaps it is intended to
return the surplus to Parliament ; but, as no indication of
oanncoltuhseiro,n
dthoeniontfoarimltaictiiponatew
such an intention has been made, and as Royal economy in
we
one department is generally directed with a view to enlarged
a course.— Court Journal.
EXTENSIVE FIRE AT TATTERSALL'S FARM, WILLES-
DEN-PADDOCKS, MEDDLESEX.--Yeaterdav (S
morn-
ing, shortly after nine o'clock, the • - (Sunday)
or:lot:eh:Mc
turesque village of Willesden, inhabitants of the pie*
about five miles . from Hyde•
park corner, were aroused from
their usual quietude by the .
outbreak of a fire upon
belonging to Edmund Tattersall, Esq., who is universally
known for his connexion with the sporting world, situate at
the Paddocks, Willesden. The fire originated in the rick-
yard, contiguous to which stands a line of stabling chiefly
built of wood. In the yard there were at the time of the out-
break two immense stacks of hay, containing (our reporter
was informed) 140 loads. It appears that a boy employed
upon the premises was amusing himself by cleaning out a
kettle which had contained a quantity of pitch, used the day
before for farming purposes. 10 do this the more effectually
he heated the vessel by kindling a fire near to a hedge close
by the ricks. By some accident, at present unexplained, ho
upset the pot of pitch, and the wind blowing very fresh at the
time, the flames communicated to the body of bar. Alarmed
by the circumstance, the boy ran away into the Adds to seek
for help, and in a few moments several labourers were upon
the spot attempting to subdue the violence of the raging ele-
ment. Finding it impossible to check the flames, information
was sent off to NVillesden and London, and several engines
were promptly in attendance, but although great efforts were
made by the firemen, aided by at least 200 countrymen, the
flames could not be subdued, and the whole of the hay would
have been consumed had not the expedient of cutting the
unburnt from the burning mass been resorted to ; but the
operation was performed with great difficulty,, and some
By danger to those engaged in it.
two o clock the smoulder-
ing ashes of the stacks were quenched, but up to half-past
five o'clock men were employed in cutting and trussing the
hay which remained uninjured : unfortunately, this is not
more than one-fourth of the original quantity. Mr. Tatter-
sail's snug little box is uninjured, and the great quantity of
young horses and brood mares were not hurt. The property
is insured in the Royal Exchange Fire-office.
DUNDEE TRADE, MAY 14.—Our
without change. The demand for flax, yarns, and linens
keeps steady, and prices are without alteration. In hemp
and hemp codilla there is still nothing doing, and prices of
both articles are quite nominal. Indian jute is still wanted,
and fetches from 15/. to 161. per ton, according to quality.
The advance in freights at Calcutta should affect the value
of jute in this market.