The Sun.
London, England, 1844-08-29 00:00:00

that all the Garde Nationale must appear at the review
of Wednesday in regimentals, at their own expense,
unless they could prove that they did not earn more than
two francs per day, or had nut that amount. The con-
sequence of this order has been to get some two hun-
dred sentenced to prison for disobedience to orders.
These people go to prison by turns, until the whole have
had the benefit of French civilisation in Africa. Yuu
know that in this " Garde" there is more, or at least an
equal number of foreigners. The question is, whether
an Englishman is to be forced to serve in this " Garde"
—not to be allowed to find a substitute—not to be able
to transact his business, by being called upon duty
perhaps at the moment when his affairs most demand
his attention—to be obliged to wear a foreign or a
French uniform—to be obliged to purchase this at his
own expense (some 61. sterling), though he remains but
four months in Oran—with numberless other vexations.
I cannot conceive that these things can be demanded of
British subjects. We could not demand them of French
subjects in our colonies. At any rate we do nut. I be-
lieve for some breaches of paltry discipline a person
can be put in prison for forty days ! In suck a case
a person may be ruined. It is quite time that our Con-
suls laid this before our Government. But then there
is the horror of the " Exequatur" staring them in the face.
1 I cannot close my letter without asking—" Whether
Government are not yet convinced that Abd-el-Kader is
not to be caught?"—in other words, whether, M.
Guizot having declared to all the world that the main
condition of peace with the Emperor was that that Abd-
el-Kader should be arrested and conveyed to some safe
asylum on the Atlantic coast, our Government is prepared
to see the French, under the pretext of getting this im •
possible condition ceded by the Emperor, invading
Morocco, and preparing it for a French province ? This
is the question it is necessary to repeat until Govern-
ment opens its eyes. The Moors are blinded by
fanaticism, and the unfortunate condition of their birth ;
but no authorities have shown greater blindness in this
affair than the British, when all their experience of the
Morocco people and its Government ought to have
taught them, that the strong, the last hold of Islamism
in the West, would not stoop to the Christiens ; that no
good Mussulman would arrest Abd-el-Kader ; that to
arrest Abd-el-Kader is looked upon as violating the
liberty of the Prophet ; that the Emperor is unable to
control the remote and immense districts of Arabs, some
of them the most hardy and determined in the whole
world ; that the Emperor, ever so anxious for peace,
' could not, dare not, make it with the French, or any
, other Christians ; and yet, our wise people in Gibraltar,
7 including the worthy Governor, all declared to the last
moment, " that there would be no war," . .

At the moment of closing my letter, another courier,
it is said, has arrived from the Marshal, ordering all the
disposable force to be sent forward immediately to the
camp, as the Moors were again on the offensive, and
coming down with immense reinforcements—with clouds
of cavalry.

We have reason to believe that so much of a para-
graph which appeared in our yesterday's impression as
represents her Royal Highness the Duchess of Gloucester
as being about to relinquish the Royal domain at Bag-
shot, in compliance with the wishes of the Queen, is en-
tirely without foundation. Her Royal Highness has,
we are informed, exchanged Bagshot, park for the house
at Richmond at her own request, and solely from a
desire to be near her sister. Nor is there any better
foundation for the report that the vacant residence has
been assigned to Prince Albert, the wishes of the Royal
Duchess being alone consulted in the arrangement, and
the future destination of the Bagshot estate not having
been as yet even thought of.—Times of yesterday.
THE LATE ATTEMPT AT MURDER IN HOLBORN.--•
In this journal on Monday appeared the final examina-
tion of the Hon. W. Touchet, at Bow-street, on Satur-
day last, for discharging a loaded pistol at Mr.
Smith, the proprietor of a shooting gallery, No.
288, High Holborn, on the 6th of July. Last week
Mr. Smith was thought sufficiently recovered to
leave St. Bartholomew's Hospital, and on Saturday
he attended at Bow-street and gave evidence of the
occurrence. During the examination he appeared
very weak, and gave his evidence suffering great pain.
On his return home he became very ill, and was com-
pelled to have medical aid. He continued to get worse,
and on Monday was again received into St. Bartholo-
mew's Hospital, where he now remains. The wound has
broken out afresh, and portions of bone are forced
through it. On inquiring at the hospital on Tuesday he
was ascertained to be better than on the preceding day,
but still he lies in a dangerous state.
DESTRUCTIVE FIRES.—On Tuesday letters were re-
ceived at the principal insurance offices in the City, de-
tailing the particulars of two dreadful fires which
occurred in the village of Winsham, situate near Chard,
in Devonshire, and which terminated in the complete
demolition of no fewer than thirty houses. The first
appears to have broken out soon after ten o'clock on
Sunday morning, during Divine service, and on the alarm
being raised the fire was found raging in the upper part
of a house situate with twelve others, at the ex-

tremity of the village, and the thatch roof
soon igniting the building was speedily re-
duced to ashes. A crowd quickly collected, and
attempts were made to check the flames from
running along the thatch of the adjacent houses, but
ineffectually, for within the space of a quarter of an
hour, no less than eight of the adjoining dwellings had
caught, and, there being no engines in the neighbour-
hood, the fire exterded its ravages until the whole of the
buildings were consumed. The village had scarcely been
restored to its usual state of quietude before it was again
aroused by a second outbreak, far more destructive
than the previous one, taking place at about half-
past ten o clock on Monday night. The flames were
first discovered raging in a small out-house at
the back of a dwelling in Church-street ; and the wind
unfortunately being high at the time soon wafted the
destructive element to the surrounding property,
and scarcely had an hour elapsed after the alarm before
upwards of fourteen houses were enveloped in flames.
The distress that prevailed amongs the poor villagers
was of a character truly heartrending. At an early
stage of the conflagration an express was sent off to
Chard for the fire-engines, but it was full two hours
before they arrived ; and, as may be expected, the
\
havoc in the meanwhile was most extensive. Six other
houses, all tenanted by small tradespeople, had fallen
with the rest, and it was sadly feared at one period that
the whole village would have fallen a prey to the flames ;
but the buildings being deprived of their thatch they
were therefore preserved. It is supposed that these
fires were the work of an incendiary, but nothing decisive
is as yet known. The loss must be very heavy.
RECREATION FOR THE WORKING CLASSES.—The
Duke of Norfolk has promised, on the expiration of a
few leases, to give up fifty acres of his land for a plea-
sure-ground, for the lecreatian of the people of Shef-
field. In Birmingham the question has already been
discussed in the Town Council, and the great advantage
and benefit of public parks unanimously affirmed. That
body has opened a communication with Government, for
the purpose of obtaining a grant towards providing the
public walks, which, in Birmingham, with its 220,000 in-
habitants, are felt to be imperatively needed.
DARING ROBBERY.—On Tuesday a most daring
robbery was committed by two well-dressed fellows at
the house of Mr. Blundell, 24, Agnes-street, Wa-
terloo-road, which was effected in the following auda-
cious manner :—The fellows knocked at the door, and
asked if Mrs. Blundell was at home, and on being
shown into the parlour, they produced a written
note, which they stated was sent by her husband, who
the men stated was locked up in the Tower-street sta-
tion on a charge of felony, and said she had better go as
quick as possible to see her husband. The men then took
out of their pockets a printed paper, which had all the
appearance of an official document, and informed Mrs.
Blundell that it was a search warrant, and they must
search the house for stolen property, at the same time
informing the lady that she must give up possession of
everything she had. Mrs. Blundell, who was dread-
fully alarmed, and is only just out of her confinement,
directed the nurse to give up the keys, when the fellows
opened the drawers, and took out twelve sovereigns in
gold as well as half a dozen silver spoons. The men
then insisted on having the boxes of the lodgers opened.
which the lady positively refused to comply with.
They then completely ransacked the house of every
valuable article they could possibly lay their hands on,
and with the greatest effrontery left the house, inform-
ing Mrs. Blundell that the sooner she proceeded to her
husband the better. Mrs. Blundell, though exceedingly
ill and weak, went direct to the Tower•street station-
house, and inquired for her husband, when she learnt no
such person was in custody. Mrs. Blundell then returned
home with the utmost expedition, and discovered that
she had been most cruelly deceived, and her house
stripped of nearly every available article, with which the
fellows got clear off. Ir. Blundell is a respectable man,
in the employ of Mr. Patrick, the extensive builder of
the Belvidere-road.
CAUTION TO HOUSEKEEPERS.—The following art-
ful system of robbery has been for some time prac-
tised at the west end of the town by an orga-
nised gang of depredators, who have hitherto suc-
ceeded in evading the vigilance of the police.
Choosing
is
osinogoeannpieeadrleylehanoiuog morning,rintbtehedoor.step
o rwhpeonssathgee, soenre-
of the confederates drops a sixpence or other small coin
into the area; the loss is then made known to the servant,
pwihe
eo is
eo inf mtohe ne
ym, o satn civilimt a
insn evri
sri
be ql
eu efsrtoemd toobroevset,o
she
be thee i
l,
generally disarmed of all suspicion, and proceeds to com-
ply with the request, when the opportunity is immediately
seized to strip the hall of coats, cloaks, or any portable
pro,perty.
'TILE LATE REV. ROWLAND HILL.—On Tuesday a
very large public meeting was held at the Surrey Chapel,
Blackfriars-road, for the purpose of commemorating the
centenary of the birth of the late Rev. Rowland Hill,
and also to consider the propriety of erecting a memorial
to him. The Rev. .1. Sherman, M.A., the minister of
the chapel, presided, and was supported by Mr. Prit-
chard, the Consul at Otaheite ; the Rev. G. Clayton, the
Rev. Dr. Campbell, and several other gentlemen. The
Chairman, in opening the proceedings, said that it had
been suggested to him to take measures for erecting a
memorial to the late Rev. Rowland Hill, formerly the
minister of Surrey Chapel, now they had cobmpleted the
ne ral
the accept
neigh-
bourhood-
centenary of his birth. Many plans had een_ recom-
moneenedwedm,sb, but
otthawthwiehbicphrompoestewdittoh
of the chapel a large . school-house, where a
erinecotstwistleini
number of children might receive the blessings of •
sound, liberal, and scriptural education. In addition to
this, it was proposed to erect two large infant schools,
one of which should be in the Borough-road. Resolu-
tions to that effect were submitted and adopted, and up-
wards of 6001. was subscribed on the spot. Mr. Pnt-
chard detailed at some length the progress of education
in Otaheite and the South Sea Islands, and the proceed-
ings terminated with a vote of thanks to the Chairman.
The garrison of Gibraltar is to be reinforced by
another regiment, and another company of artillery.
The 72d, at Buttevant, are hourly expecting the order
to march to Cork, and embark thence forthwith for th•
Rock.—Limvich Chronicle.