The Sun.
London, England, 1844-02-26 00:00:00

HAYNES BAYLY'S POEMS. 2 Vols.

Bentley, London, 1844.
In these volumes we have a reprint of the whole of
Mr. Bayly's poetical works, accompanied with a
biographical sketch of the author from the pen of his
widow, from which it appears that he was born in
the year 1797, so that at the period of his death, in
1839, he could only have completed his forty-second
year. From the account here given of him we should
judge him to have been a man of the most friendly
and companionable qualities ; and indeed his poems
show this, for they abound in tender, amiable senti-
ments, expressed In chaste, simple, and perspicuous
language. As they were chiefly intended for the
drawing-room, it was not necessary that they should
be conspicuous by manly nerve and vigour, and ac-
cordingly we find written no bold, striking thoughts
or images, but instead—in the more serious songs
and ballads at least—a vein of gentle, pleasing melan-
lancholy. As a lyrical writer, Mr. Bayly is sur-
passed only by Moore, in ease and grace and melody
of versification. Not a few of his earlier ballads—
especially his " Oh no, we never mention her," and
"Friends depart, and memory takes them," are still
popular, and are long likely to retain their popula-
rity, if only for the beauty of the music to which
the words are set.

SINGULAR CIRCUMSTANCE.—The quiet little town
of Wantage 48 been in commotion for the past week, owing
to a very interesting and lady-like girl, about 14 years of
age, having been brought there by Old Harrod (who travels
about with besoms), and given up to the constable. It seems
that Harrod took up the young lady in his cart at Buckland,
seeing that she was nearly exhausted, and her clothes very
dirty, and finding she gave an odd account of herself, he very
properly handed her over to the custody of Jones, who pro-
vided her with a bed and supper at a small public-house, and
the next morning mentioned the matter to his sister, the
kind-hearted good-natured landlady of the Bear, who sent for
the girl to her house, and had her provided with clean
clothes and every necessary. She was soon visited by the
Rev. Mr. Hewlett, Mr. Ormond, and several gentlemen, who
from her ingenuous manner, her evident good breeding, and
education, with her intelligent replies to their questions, soon
took a great interest in her behalf. It appeared that the young
lady had from some cause run away from her friends in the
neighbourhood of Bath, whose names she would not mention,
and had been walking for two days last week in the cold and
severe weather, without going into a house, mid with only a
short supply of biscuits in a bag, and had actually slept
under the hedges for two nights; and when she arrived at
Wantage her dress bore evident marks of what she had gone
through, and her little feet were dreadfully swollen, and it
is only a wonder that one of such tender years did not die.
Mr. Ansell took the young lady to his own house, and under
the kind treatment of his wife she soon recovered the effects
of her trying journey. It seems she made a disclosure of the
name of her near relations and friends to Mr. Ansell, and on
Tuesday a clergyman arrived from Lincolnshire, whose name
a few years since came very prominently before the public,
in consequence of a melancholy event which occurred in
Middlesex, and claimed her as his daughter, and it turned
out that she had been adopted by another clergyman resident
in Bath, and from some fancied cause of ill-treatment by his
housekeeper, started off on a wild-goose chase to London, and
it is fortunate that she fell into such good hands, and was
restored, after a week's wonder and excitement, to her friends.
—Berks Chronicle.

PERSECUTION OF THE JEWS IN RUSSIA.—" The
Russian Government," says: the Journal des Debats, "has de_
cidedly declared war against the civilization as well as the gene-
rous and philosophic spirit of our age, and every day it is making
further progress in this deplorable course. Every day the German
Journals bring us accounts of parseduthins exercised by order of
the Emperor against the Jews who inhabit his states. A new
ukase has filled the cup of persecution to the brim, and has re-
duced that unfortunate population to despair. We must refer to
the most unfortunate period of our history, and to the fatal spirit
which dictated the revocation of the edict of Nantes, to find an
example for this tyranny which has struck half a million of men.
When we consider, that without any serious motive, and under
the most frivolous pretext, an entire industrious population—men,
women, children, and old men—have been compelled to quit their
homes en masse, to break the bonds which attach them to their
native soil, to renounce their affections, their recollections, and
their interests, to seek in unknown provinces the slip of
ground marked out for them by the despot, we ask ourselves
involuntarily it be really in Europe In the 19th century, or
whether it be not in the remotest corner of the East, that the
rights of humanity have been violated and trampled under foot.
We almost imagine that we see the transportations ordered by the
Kings Darius and Nebuchadnezzar repeated in our time by a
society in which human misery or death is of no weight in corn.
'unison with the caprice of a conqueror."—The .duishurg Gazette
publishes a letter, dated Berlin, sth instant, stating that "various
letters and journals describe the Jews residing in the Russian
dominions. although severely grieved, as giving proof of energy
and talent, the more surprising as the Polish Jews were generally
considered to be half barbarians. The chief Rabbi, from Posen,
was lately at Berlin, and received applications from various
quarters to interest himself for his suffering countrymen. Some
Israelites, highly distinguished in literature, amongst others M.
Lehman, formerly director of the State Gazette, waited on the King
of Prussia, who referred him to the Prince Royal. His Royal
Highness was pleased to say, that a representation, couched in the
strongest terms, should be made to the Emperor of Russia relative
to the oppression practised en his Jewish subjects." The reply to
this remonstrance is anxiously expected.

YOUTHFUL ELOPEMENT.-011 Friday night two
gentlemen arrived here from Warwickshire, In search of a yc ung
lady, aged 13, who had eloped with's gentleman, aged 27. The parties
were traced successively to Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool,
and thence to this island. Suspicion having been entertained;
that the fugitives bad set out for Ballaugh, the party accordingly
lost no time in making all possible search in that locality, but
without success. On returning to Douglas, however, the run.
away couple were discovered in lodgings, passing themselves off as
uncle and niece I We need scarcely add, that the matrimonial knot
had not been tied ; although the young lady repeatedly assured her
father, who was one of the party in smell of her, that she would
have " George" for a husband! On Saturday evening, the whole
party embarked en board the King Orry, and returned to Liver.
pool.—Monn Herold.
Fox CHASE.—The other day, Sir 'Henry Every's
hounds ran a fox into Derby. Poor Reynard, who was completely
"run down," ran along Croas.lane, down to the brook, where two
boys turned him, and he then ran through Mr. Jay's garden into a
Held, where, having taken refuge underneath a heap of sticks, he
was secured, and "bagged" for another day's "sport."—Derby
Reporter.

-HUNTINCI.—A few days since, the gamekeeper at
Kentraugh, the residence of E. M. Gawne, Esq., in returning from

a hunting excursion, happened to call for some refreshment at •
public-house on the road side, and while thus engaged, a grey-
hound which accompanied him, ran out, and in a very few painutes
returned to the fire-side with a bare In his mouth.. —Mono lisr old.

SAILORS' STRIKE, SRIELDS.—The sailors of North
and South Shields last week struck work for a rise of wages
—they ask 41. per voyage for the coal trade, and 31. per
month for the Baltic and American trade. The rate of
wages at present paid is from 31. ss. to 31. 12s. 6d. in the coal
trade, the voyage occupying seven weeks ; and for foreign,
the wages have been much less. With this miserable pit-
tance the families of the men, to our knowledge, have been
in a very miserable condition ; many of them almost starv-
ing. Large meetings have been held in the Seamens' Hall,
when it was determined that every peaceable means should
be taken to secure the wages asked, and to induce those who
are on board ship to turn out. The river has for the last
three or four days been covered with boats laden with seamen
who have gone about from ship to ship to induce those on
board to join them, but in no instance has the least attempt
at violence been made. On Friday, a body of Newcastle po-
licemen, commanded: by Sir John Fife and Mr. Stephens,
were ou the river to protect the ships, but their services
were not wanted. The peaceable conduct of the seamen so
delighted the Mayor, that he expressed himself in terms of
warm admiration at their temperate and manly conduct.—
Mae Mercury.
A SINGULAR DILEMMA.—A paragraph appeared in
our paper of Wednesday (derived from the morning papers)
under the above heading, in which it is stated that the
Solicitor of the Post-office had written to the Solicitor
of Legacy Duties at Somerset House, relative to certain
letters sent from the latter, on which Postage stamps
formerly used had been placed, and .that upon in-
quiry into the matter it appeared that this attempt
at fraud had been committed by one of the messengers,
who received only a reprimand on the occasion. We
are authorised to state that there is not one word of truth in
this paragraph from the beginning to the end ; and further
that no circumstance has occurred that could by any mistake
or perversion have given the smallest ground or colour for
such a statement.

VY
-----
SCENE AT A CORONER'S INQUEST.---Late on Tues-
day evening an inquest was held at Newing-ton, before Mr.
Carter, on view of the body of a new-born male child, which
was found in a decomposed state in a basket in Trinity,-
gardens, by police constable 64 M, while walking his rounds
at two o'clock on the previous Sunday morning. The body
underwent a post-mortem examination, but the medical men
would not undertake to swear that the child had been born
alive. A verdict of" Found dead" was agreed to. On Mr.
Brooks, the beadle, however, going round to obtain the sig-
natures of the jurymen to the inquisition, he found one of
them (named Ward) fast asleep. After being shaken several
times, he fell on his knees. lie was then taken before the
Coroner, and reprimanded for his conduct. In answer to a
question from the Coroner he said he could not tell the precise
time he fell asleep, but he understood that the child had not
been born alive. The circumstance created great laughter.
A PRETTY COMPLIMENT.—" Albert," said her Ma-
jesty, the other day, " do you ever recal cur visit last year
to 'Freport, with pleasure?" "Of course, my love," replied
his Royal Highness, " fur I Can never think of Lepurt With-
out thinking of Eu."

THE FACTORIES BILL.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
Sin,—l observe the Factories Bill brought in by Sir
James Graham and Mr. Manners Sutton was issued •n
Friday, the 9th inst. It states that the law for regu-
lating the employment of children and young persons
in factories needs amendment. Then follows an inter-
pretation clause. No child under eight years of age to
be employed in factories. How humane ! Nor any
young person to be employed under sixteen years. From
this it would appear a boy or girl is reckoned a child
until they reach sixteen. Children not to work more
than six hours and a half daily. How beautifully this clause
would work for a journeyman cotton-spinner (and his
employers), who employ from six to eight hands, the
one half of which are generally under 16 years of age.
It shows how absurd it is to attempt to legislate on a
subject not properly understood.

Young persons and women not to be employed more
than twelve hours a day, nor to work after half-past
seven o'clock in the evening, and to cease work on
Saturdays at half-past four o'clock. This has long been
the general practice. One hour and a half to be allowed
for meals. Now this is decidedly too little, and no
good reason can be shown why people employed
in factories should not be allowed two hours for
meals, as well as masons, carpenters, smiths, and
in fact all artizans, and even day labourers. Now,
it often happens that public works are so situated
that dwelling-houses cannot be obtained near to the
work, which often compel he work-pe)ple to walk half
a mile, and others a mile, to breakfast and dinner ; or
to be at the trouble and expense of having their food
carried to them. How painful it is to see hundreds of
men, women, and children coming out of factories at the
breakfast hour, and running as if they were on a life
and death message !—not having as much time allowed
them by their employers as to say may God bless me and
my food. These great exertions must be very hurtful to
many of them. Now this bad system must have ori-
ginated with some very selfish master, and others have
followed the bad example, to protect themselves against
those selfish men from underselling them.
In place of the proposed alterations in the Factories
Bill, had Sir James introduced a ten hours' Bill, and
prohibited all boys and girls from being employed in '
factories under 11 or 12 years of age, he would have
conferred a very great blessing on both old and young
so employed ; the general voice of the country would
have been with him. A few interested, selfish indivi-
duals might and would have disapproved of the measure;
but what of that ? The boys and girls at 11 or 12
years of age would have been able to work the ten hours
without injury, their employment being generally
light. By this plan, all complex rale' and regulations
would have been avoided, which would have
prevented a world of trouble, vexation, and
expense. Were half a dozen of boys and girls at eight
or nine years of age brought before the House of Com-
mons, and the Members asked, will you make a law
authorising such mere children to be wrought in fac-
tories ? I should think the unanimous answer would be,
certainly not ; would you have us to disgrace our-
selves? The truth is, it is only the children of worth-
less and dissipated parents that find their way into fac-
tories at eight or nine years of age. Honest and in-
dustrious parents would not allow such young children
to go into a factory.
The laws of the land should be made to protect such
young children, instead of putting it
,into the power of
worthless parents to subject their offspring to worse
than slavery. It is to be hoped a British Parliament
will not allow such a foul blot ever to stain their recordS.
I beg pardon for troubling you with this letter ; I in-
tended it for Sir James Graham, as you will see by the
alterations, but have changed my mind. If you think
proper to give it a place in your excellent paper you
will oblige a constant reader of The Sun; should you
decline doing so, there will be no harm done.—l remain,
Sir, your most obedient servant, A. C. R.
Glasgow, Feb. 22.

TEE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY 26, 1844