The Sun.
London, England, 1845-12-06 00:00:00

LOSS OF LIFE.

Yesterday morning, between twelve and one, a fire, attended
with a serious destruction of property, and, it is feared, fatal
consequences, to an aged female, broke out upon the pre-
mises belonging to Messrs. Cooper and Willard, boot and
shoe manufacturers, at No. 9, Bedford-place, Commercial-
road East. At the time of the outbreak there was nearly a
dozen persons in the building, the majority of them being in
their beds asleep. One of the lodgers first discovered the
fire. His attention was arrested by hearing a noise resem-
bling the fall of some heavy substance in the lower part
9f the premises. He endeavoured to extinguish the flames,
but he soon found that be was unable, and he hastened to
the upper part of the dwelling tO arouse his wife and the
rest of the inmates. Scarcely had he got into the
apartment that he had but a few seconds before quitted
than flames and smoke shot up the staircase with such
rapidity as to cut off escape by the regular means. He suc-
ceeded in procuring a rope, which he fastened round the waist
of his wife, and managed to lower her out of one of the
upper windows. Several of the other parties living in the
place were net so fortunate, and to escape being burnt they
were forced to resort to numerous expedients. One of the
females threw her infant out of the window, and pitching
upon the window blind the canvas gave way, and the child
fell through, but was fortunately caught in the arms of a
spectator, and received no personal injury. Several other
parties effected their escape by leaping from the tipper
casements just as the flames were breaking through the
front window-shutters, and extending nearly half across
the carriage .road. The light thus thrown out caused the
fire to be perceived from the various metropolitan bridges.
Several engines were soon on the spot, and succeeded in pre-
venting the fire from extending to the contiguous buildings,
and by a quarter-past two o'clock the conflagration was sub-
dued. At that time. the whole of the stock in trade be-
longing to Messrs. Cooper and Co. was destroyed, and the
furniture of the lodgers consumed. For a considerable time
it was feared that a bedridden female, eighty years of age,
named Lea, had perished, she having been in bed at the
time of the outbreak, on the first floor. After much inquiry,
(our reporter having seen most of the parties upon the pre-
mises, who were at the period lodged in the building), it
appeared too likely that the poor woman had perished, as not
the slightest tidings could be heard of her. As to the origin
of the disaster, or whether or not any of the sufferers were
insured, we were unable to learn during the excitement which
prevailed.

The Earl of Aberdeen, we understand, intends
shortly to leave town for Brighton.
SALE or POPULAR WORKS.—Many of our best
books experienced the greatest difficulty in obtaining a pub-
lisher, and many, when published, remained for a length of
time neglected. The " Paradise Lost" and Newton's " Op-
tics" are memorable examples. The manuscript of " Robin-
son Crusoe" was hawked through the whole trade, and no
one would print it, until a second-rate bookseller, after much
hesitation, entered on the speculation, and eventually made
by it more than a thousand guineas. Sterne, when he had
completed his first and second volumes of " Tristram
Shandy," offered them to a publisher at York for fifty pounds,
but was refused. In our times Dickens's', inimitable " Pick-
wick" appeared for several months without exciting the least
public notice, and Warren's beautiful and interesting "Diary
of a late Physician," the most popular contribution that ever
appeared in Blackwood, was rejected by the editor of the
New Monthly as unworthy of insertion in that magazine !
The Patrician.

- - -
BODY OF A CHILD FOUND IN THE RlVER.—Thurs-
day forenoon Mr. W. Baker held an inquest at the Town of
Ramsgate, Wapping, on the body of a new-born female child,
which was found dead in the river, near Execution Dock
Stairs, on. Monday morning last:,• It was wrapped up in a•
piece o&-black enerino4, and to have been .itt, the
water onkra.few hours. It was brougheashore to,Mivßees;
a surgeon, who examined' it, ,and who gave it phis opinion,
that it had been born alive, There were no marks of external
violence, and he was unable to say what was the cause of
death. Verdict—" Found dead in the river." _ _

- -
PARISH OF ST. MART, ISLINGTON.—OH Thursday a
numerous vestry meeting of the parish of Islington was held
in the church, for the purpose of making a rate for two
quarters of a year, from Michaelmas to Lady-day next, for
the maintenance of the poor, for payment of the annuities
granted for raising moneys to build the chapel of ease, &c.,
&c. The sum required was about 18,1401., including
3,199/. ss. 9d. police-rate, 1,500/. county and lunatic asylum,
3,500/. for the highway; &c. The account having been pre-
sented, the various rates were made upon the rental of
223,9511., amounting to Is. 4d. in the pound.
A London engineer, who visited Taunton last
week, publicly offered 300/. for the services of a surveyor ac-
quainted with the locality, for ten days.
An experimental iron carriage is now running on
one of the Belgian line, and it is believed that eventually
it will be found better and cheaper than wood.
FIRE AT BROXSTOWE- HALL, NEAR NOTTINGHAM.
—NOrriNGHAN, THURSDAY, 3 P.M.—A fire broke out to-
day, at half past twelve o'clock at noon, in the midst of the
stack-yard at Broxstowe-hall, three miles from the town o.
Nottingham, which, owing to an early discovery after the
Ilames had made their appearance, was prevented doing
extensive damage. It is supposed to be the work of an in-
cendiary.

CITY OF LONDON GENERAL PENSION SOCIETY.—
On Thursday a special general meeting of the subscribers to
this Institution was held at the offices of the Society, 65,
Coleman-street, to take into consideration the alteration of
the 81st rule of the Society, which requires that the whole
of the life subscriptions and donations should be invested in
the Funds, the effect of such rule, as it then stood, being
found to prevent the Directors from granting to poor, ne-
cessitous,. and deserving pensioners the full amount to which
St had been the understood and desired intention of the
:Society they should receive, as also to increase the number
of female pensioners to the same as the male ; Luke James
Hansard, Esq., in the chair. Mr. John Bedford moved a
resolution, which was seconded by Mr. Borne, to the effect
that one-half only of. the life subscriptions and donations
should be invested in the Funds, which was carried unani-
mously. Mr. Smith moved a resolution, seconded by Mr.
Cutler, to the effect that the Society should be enabled to
grant pensions to the same number of females as males, in-
stead of half, as the laws then stood. The resolution was
carried. Thanks having been voted to the Chairman, the
meeting separated.
A variety of rumours have been current in political
circles with respect to the movements and intentions of the
Ministry. It is confidently said that at the Cabinet Council
on Wednesday, Sir Robert Peel intimated that if his col-
leagnee refused to support a proposition for the total and im-
mediate repeal of the corn-laws, he should feel it necessary to
resign office. This intimation is said to have overcome the
opposition of the Duke of Wellington, who, at length, gave
his reluctant assent to the Premier's proposition. It is said
that the resolution of the majority of the Cabinet is likely to
lead to the resignation of at least three of its members—
Lords Wharncliffe, Stanley, and Ripon. The name of Lord'
Haddington has also been mentioned as one of the probable
seceders. It has been remarked that the first intitnatien
which her Majesty will receive of the intentions of her
Ministers will be through the columns of an Opposition news-
paper. This is highly respectful.—Chronicle.
The Acadia steam-ship left Liverpool for Halifax
and Boston on Thursday afternoon. She takes out the mails
for Canada and the United States, and a large number of
passengers.
GALLOPING MAT_ CH AGAINST TIME.—On Thursday
afternoon a galloping match against time, for a stake of one
hundred pounds, came off on Sunbury-common; Mr. Can-
non, a farmer of Maidenhead, having backed his horse, nine
years old, and a little snore than fifteen hands high, to gallop
twenty: miles within the hour. Time was backed by Mr.
*Poulton, meat salesman, of Smithfield. An immense number
of persons were present to witness the match ; and some very
heavy bets were depending on the issue of the event. The
distance gone over was five miles out and five miles in. The
And ten miles were run in a shade over half an hour, which
appeared to the knowing ones (and those supposed to be in
the secret) to be anything but winning. The result was that
the horse lost by a minute and thirty-five seconds. The
horse, throughout the twenty miles, and up to the finish, ap-
peared to be net in the beet distressed, in fact the jockey was
far more distressed than the, nag. It is supposed that the
horse, With a lighter weight upon its back, and under more
favourable circumstances, would have gained a comparatively
easy victory. et gentleman of Windsor, *eft known in the
sporting circle, has offered to back the horse tO the amount of
one hundred pounds, to perform the same distance within the
hour, provided he has the horse in his possession for a certain
time before the match comes off:
CURIOUS ROBBERY BY ONE OF THE CREW OF THE
Tonv.--On Wednesday. evening, during the inquiry into the
case of Captain Johnstone, late master of the Tory, a curious
robbery was committed under somewhat singular circum-
stances. Amongst the witnesses examined on Wednesday
was a woman named Blewitt. It seems that Blewitt, though
a married woman, with a husband still living, had contracted
an intimacy with Dunn during the voyage, and determined
to make him her " second" in despite of the laws against
bigamy. Having to appear with her as a witness on Wed-
nesday's inquiry, she resolved that her intended should show
to the greatest advantage, and to that end she rigged him
out in " spick and span new" toggery, and they went arm-
and-arm to the Court. On the way she handed film the key
of her apartment, of the contents Of which he was, no doubt,
well aware, for better security, fearing she should be flurried
whilst giving her evidence. With the natural curiosity. of
ler sex, Mrs.l.3lewitt;conceiving that she was the heroine
of the piece, stood out the whole performance, but Dunn,
as soon as he quitted the witness-box, hastened to Mrs.
Blewitt's apartment, and abstracted as much from her desk
as will, when apprehended, qualify him for a prominent ap-
pearance in the dock. Mrs. Blewitt, on missing her gallant
esscort, whom she expected to find in the opposite public-
house, had sundry misgivings. and hastening to her lodgings,
discovered that her faithless swain had anticipated her visit,
forced her desk, abstracted 201., and bolted. She gave instant
information at the Denmark-street station-house, when it
was ascertained Dunn had set sail for Liverpool.
THE EDINBURGH MEETlNG.—Edinburgh, though
rather tardy, haa done its duty to the cause of corn-law re-
peal in capital style. The meeting yesterday, of which we
have given a very full report, was in numbers, respectability,
and enthusiasm, everything that the most zealous repealer
could desire. The speeches, especially those of Mr. Macaulay
and Mr. Rutherford, told with immense effect, and were
cheered to the echo. Among the many able and excellent
xnen who were on the platform, perhaps there was none
whose appearance there so much gratified the audience as
that of Sir Charles Napier. The burst of applause which
;saluted him before he had uttered a word, told how much the
inhabitants of Edinburgh were delighted to see their distin-
guished townsman, whose chivalrous valour has filled Europe
with his fame, taking his place among the champions of free
trade and cheap bread. The capital of Scotland has thus
joined the other great towns of the empire—liirm,ingßhraamd:
Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield, Nottingham, Stockport
ford, Bolton, Preston, Newcastle, Liverpool, and Glasgow, and
many smaller burghs--in denouncing the corn-laws as " the
blight of commerce, the bane of agriculture, the source of
bitter divisions among classes, the cause of penury, lever,
mortality, and crime among the people."—Scotsman.
CALEDONIAN ASYLUM.--The Quarterly General
Court of this Corporation was held on Thursday, at the hall of
the Scottiahllospital, Crane court, Fleet-street, for the tran-
saction Of business. The Chisholm took the chair, supported
by General Sir Fitzroy M'Lean, George Lindsay, Esq., Alex-
ander Gillespie, jun., l'sq., Captain Charles Forbes, and other
old friends of the institution. The proceedings ofthe Direc-
tors, in reference to the management of the asylum for the
last six months, with a single exception, were confirmed. It
appeared that the examination of the children had been con-
ducted by the two presbyteries of the Scottish Church con-
jointly—the presbytery in connexion with the Established
Church, and that belonging to the Free Church. They had
separately furnished reports of the educational progress of
the.
children. These documents were read. They were both
extremely favolitable, and concluded by commending the
charity to public consideration. A vote of thanks had been
passed to P. M. Stewart, Esq IMP., for Makin over to the
funds, in the name of the Ladies'
Patronesses of the Caledo-
donian Ball, the whole proceeds of that re-union, amounting
to about 7001. The resignation of Sir Augustus D'Este, from
increasing infirmities, was mentioned and deeply regretted.
Fourteen children were elected, and there remained sixteen
strong cases on the paper unprovided for. Vacancies were
announced for six boys and four girls at the next half-yearly
elegaion.