The Sun.
London, England, 1844-12-23 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

Szn,—l think the following paragraph, from the
Liverpool Standard, so significant as to deserve a pro-
minent place in the columns of The Sun, and, more-
over, the most serious attention of the friends of the
Established Church in this country. When we hear,
as we do continually, of the munificent gifts of Roman
Catholics, Unitarians, and Dissenters, for the support
of the public worship of Almighty God, in the manner
they severally deem the most proper ; when we ob-
serve that they can find money to erect large, costly,
and beautiful temples of religion, how truly con-
temptible, paltry, and disgraceful does the infliction
on the people of the halfpenny and farthing Offer-
tory, appear I When the Pope and Socinus are
prowling about the fold, it is madness on the part of
the Shepherd of Canterbury to worry and scatter
his sheep. A CATHOLIC CHRISTIAN.

"The Unitarians of Hyde are now contemplating
the erection of a chapel of more than uncommon
magnificence, and, judging from present appearances,
in the way of donations, the plan IA ill undoubtedly be
fully realised. The Messrs. Ashton, of Hyde, four
brothers, have, it is understood, given 1,0001. each;
Mr. Thornley, of Godley, 500/. ; and Mr. Randle, of
Hibbert, 300/. ; to say nothing of smaller sums. It is
intended to raise, b 7 voluntary subscriptions, the
large sum of 10,0001. '

Mr. Kemp, of Kemptown, died suddenly at Paris
on Friday. He was in the 61st year of his age.
'1 he Duke of St. Albans, the Earl of Yarborough,
Lord Worsley, M.P., Earl Brownlow, the Earl of Hare
rowby, the Earl of Dysart, Sir John Nelthorpe, Bart.,
Sir Robert Sheffield, Bart, Sir Montague John Cholme-
ley, Bart., Sir William Earl Welby, Bart., Sir J. C.
Thorold. Bart., Mr. C. Turnor, M.P., Mr. G. J. Beath-
cote. M.P., are among the members who are about to
establish an association for the general protection of
property against incendiarism in the county of Lincoln.
THE GAME PRESERVING.—Odious as the life of a
poacher may be, farmers have no cause to regret their
nightly visits; but, on the contrary, woul.l, no doubt,
be very glad if they were to carry off the entire
" surplus" game.
SAVINGS Basms.—Although the late Act of Par-
liament regarding savings' banks has but been in opera-
tion barely a month, much discontent is manifesting
itself in respect to the rates of interest now allowed to
depositors. Some banks allow 31. Fer cent., others
91. 18s. 4d., and others 2L 15s. 6d. The Government
only now allows to trustees 21.(55. per cent., to pay de-
positors' interest, and all demands upon them for neces-
eery salaries, for rents and taxes, and for all incidental
charges. With all this before us, the Government, from
the produce of savings' banks, has an immen e sum in
their hands called " surplus money." The reduction
which has been made in the interest (and especially
where only the lesser rates are allowed) will be a serious
loss to those classes of individuals for v► hose convenience
and advantage savings' banks were established.
THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA —LIVERPOOL,
SUNDAY.—The next steamer, which, we anticir ate, will
arrive here on Sunday next, will, should there be no
intermediate arrival with late dates, bring important
advices from the United States. The day appointed for
the meeting of Congress is Monday, the 2d of December,
but a quorum would not, it was thought, be assembled
before the middle of the week. We may conclude,
therefore, that the last annual message which President
Tyler's term of office will allow him to issue, and which
will, of course, strenuously advocate the annexation of
Texas, would be delivered about the 6th instant. The
Whigs had a majority of four in the Senate—a majority
considered sufficient to prevent the accomplishment of
annexation, or any other democratic measure, should
they be firm and steadfast in their opposition. Their
policy in that respect was, however, a doubtful question;
and, until it is decided, no opinion entitled to any weight
can be given as to the prospects of the future. From
Canada we shall have the meeting of the new Provincial
Parliament, appointed for the 28th ult., and the opening
speech of Sir Charles Metcalf, which is looked forward
to with great interest. The packet-ship Hottinguer,
which arrived off Holyhead on Wednesday week, reached
the river on Thursday night last, having been upwards
of a week vainly endeavouring to enter. The easterly
winds which delayed her arril al continue, and the docks
are extremely bare of shipping.
The Court of France is enchanted with the
Duchess* d'Aumale, who has won the hearts of all about
her. Though somewhat below the middle size, the
Princess is exceedingly elegant in her deportment,
affable and courteous in her manners, and is said to coins
bi great instruction with good natural talents. The
Duc d'Aumale piques himself on being the father of hie
own marriage, for the Princess is known to have been
his own unbiassed choice.—Court Journal.
THE WEATHER AND TUE PARES.—ACCIDENTS ON
THE ICE —The frost within the last two days has set in
with great severity, with a cutting wind from the south-
east. The rapid thaw which commenced on Sunday
week had not entirely destroyed the ice on the orna-
mental water in the Regent's Park, when the frost again
set in, and yesterday the frozen surface was of sufficient
strength to bear. The ice, however, was in a most dan-
gerous condition, and, despite the endeavours of the men
belonging to the Royal Humane Society, a great number
of skaters persisted in going CR. As already stated,
the ice was very dangerous, being full of cracks, and in
detached pieces, and it was not a little amusing to see a
dozen skaters on a piece of ice surrounded by water.
To get off, the skaters had to jump across the chasm.
and owing to the inconvenience of skates, generally
jumped in amidst the shouts of thousands who lined the
banks. To prevent persons from going on, the ice had
been broken away all round the edges to a distance of
two yards. This was no preventative, for many waded
up to their knees in water to get in rather than be de-
barred from the pleasure of skating. About one o'clock,
a young man, named George Thornton, residing in
King-street, Somers-town, became immersed up to his
neck, but was speedily rescued by means of one of the
breaker ladders. He was carried to the marquee be-
longing to the Royal Humane Society, and having been
supplied with dry clothing, was enabled to proceed home.
Several other immersions took place during the day, but
of no importance, The number of skaters upon the ice
at any one time during the day did not exceed sixty ; but.
the number of persons on the banks was far greater than
on any day this winter. The ornamental water in St.
James's Park was frozen over, but not of sufficient
strength, and no one had the temerity to venture: on it.
The Serpentine wes not at all frozen. In Kensington-gar-
dens the Round-pond:was frozen over, but not to bear. The
beauty of the day, however, caused a great number of
persons to visit the parks, &c. At the receiving house
last evening the mercury stood at 32. In the morning it
was as low as 30 ; the barometer at 30 denoting a conti-
nuance of fair weather, with the wind blowing steeney,
from the E.S.E.
Mr. Donald Horne, from the office of her Ma-
jesty's Works, has been inspecting the locality of the
ancient and Royal Palace of Linlithgow, between Glas-
gow and Edinburgh. This famed mansion has lately
undergone extensive repairs and embellishments under
the sanction and at the expense of Government. Mr.
Home has fully confirmed the ancient right of the public
to free access round the loch.
JOHN APGREGOR, ESQ., OF THE BOARD OF TRADE.
—Among the guests at the dinner to Sir Henry Pot-
tieger, last evening, was Mr. M`Gregor, one of the joint
assistant secretaries of the Board of Trade. We believe
this gentleman will remain a day or two in Manchester.
He is staying at the Queen's Hotel. —Manchester
Guardian.
EXTRAORDINARY INSTANCE OF FELINE FECUN-
DITY AND LONGEVITY.—The baker at Burghley has
recently suffered a bereavement in the death of a cat,
which was kittened in 1827, and died on Friday the 13th
inst., in the eighteenth year of her age: She has given
birth to 360 kittens, the last of which is now lining, and
one of the finest of the feline race, weighing - upwards of
two stone.—Lincolnshire Chronicle.
His Excellency Sir Eardly Wilmot has appointed
Mr. Roderick O'Connor, a brother of Fearges, to a seat
in the Legislative Council at Hobart Town.—Southern
Reporter.
The Journal des Debals announces that OR the 14th
inst. the regicide Tschech, who attempted to assassinate
the King of Prussia, was executed at Spandau, where he
had been conveyed under an escort of cavalry. The King
had remitted that part of his sentence which stated that
he was to be broken on the wheel.
FALL OF SNOW IN SPAIN.—A Madrid letter of the
13th says—" The city is covered with snow a foot in
depth. It is ten years since we had anything of the,
kind. From Barcelona, the 12th, we learn that there
has been a heavy fall of snow in that city, and that the
cold was intense."