The Sun.
London, England, 1844-08-26 00:00:00

MOST DISTRESSING CASE.

Two young persons, named Mary Ann and Sarah
Ann Ann Johnson, of lady-like manners, and evi-
dently of superior education, about four months ago
engaged an apartment at the house of Mr. Stainsbury,
No. 27, Charlotte-street West, White Conduit-fields,
at the rent of 43. per week. They commenced a
small school, and obtained a few scholars, but they
were not enabled to support themselves or to pay
their rent, and they became involved in arrears to the
amount of 2/. 10s. They were pressed for the money,
or a portion of it, but were unable to answer the de-
mand, and kept their distressed and starving condi-
tion a secret until it was discovered by their landlord,
who told them if they would leave the lodging he
would forgive them the whole of the rent. This,
however, they declined doing. The younger sister,
Sarah Ann, whose previous system had been wrought
upon by grief, want of nourishment, and the anxieties
attendant upon the school, fell into a state of con-
sumption and insanity. Every step she heard she
fancied to be a fresh application for rent, and she in-
dulged in loud exclamations to her sister, such as
" Here they are ; they are coming for the rent." Last
Saturday week a noise attracted the attention of
Mrs. Stainsbury, who proceeded up stairs to the
young ladle.' apartment, and found them struggling
violently together. The younger sister sprung upon
the other in a state of raving madness, pulled and
dragged her about, and would have choked her had
she not been prevented by timely assistance.
It was not until now that the real destitution of the
unfortunate creatures was exhibited. Medical aid
was called in, and Mr. Kitt, surgeon, of No. 15,
Upper Copenhagen-street, and Mr. Duncombe, at-
tended, but the youngest sister lingered until the fol-
lowing Monday, when she expired, the doctor having
no doubt that she died through want of nourishment.
The remains of the deceased lay in the room with the
surviving sister (alone) until Friday, when, from
their decomposed state, the sister having no friends
nor means to bury the body, the landlord applied to
the parish authorities. A coffin was sent to the
house, and the remains were interred on Monday last
in the burial-ground of the Chapel-of-Ease at Hol-
loway, her sister being the only mourner. The sister
has been visited by one or two humane persons, who
have afforded her temporary relief. She is a most in-
telligent person, and states that they were orphans of
respectable parents, who came from Dumfries, in
Scotland, about ten years since. The parents died
and left property, and the sisters lived for some time
afterwards at Lewisham, in Kent ; but in their in-
experience they speculated in building, and were
cheated of their money, and reduced to distress. They
were often starving. Her sister and herself had re-
peatedly lived on a penny loaf and cold water, in
preference to exposing their distress ; and on being
asked if they ever applied to the parish for relief, she
said they chose rather to bear their misfortunes than
go to the workhouse. They had no friends, and they
entered upon a small school, which was too precarious
for a livelihood. The unfortunate young lady is still
in the house, depending upon casual bounty, and In
great grief.

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.
PORTSMOUTH, Arc. 25.—The unprotected state of
our ports has become amongst naval men a leading,
topic of conversation, more so at the port than else-
where, and not without good reason, we think, when we
have before our eyes the fact that neither Portsmouth,
Devonport, nor Sheerness has a "guard" ship, and the
only ship fitting out for that service is the Queen, 110,
in this harbour, for the flag of Sir J. C. White at the
Nore. The St. Vincent, 120, until lately the flag-ship at
this port, is in the Sound at Plymouth, ordered to hold
herself in readiness to leave that port at a moment's
notice. The Collingwood will leave Spithead in a day
or two (Tuesday is reported) for her station, when there
will be no ship fitting out at this or any other port except
the Queen.

A descent upon our coasts, even to the mouths of our
harbours, would be, under such circumstances as the
above, an attempt by no means difficult of accomplish-
ment, especially if steam were employed ; an enemy
might pour shot and shells into our garrisons, and into
this, perhaps, easier than any other, in the night, and
be out of reach before any craft could get out of harbour
to cope with them. To remedy the possibility of this,
it is the opinion of heads grown gray in the service that
a first-class steam-frigate, of powers somewhat like the
Terrible (now building at Deptford), should be con-
structed for the service of each port, and which should
be kept in such a state of constant readiness as to be
eligible for chase or fight almost at a moment's notice.
Such vessels would be far more eligible and efficacious in
keeping off marauding foes than all the guard-ships that
ever carried flags.
The Collingwood, SO, Captain Smart, at Spithead, has
received sailing orders. She will sail on Tuesday, we
believe.

The Inconstant, 36, Captain Freemantle, was at Por
Royal, Jamaica, on the 20th ult.

The Queen, 100, Captain Martin, has her topgallant-
masts pointed, and will drop down to Spithead from her
moorings in the harbour, it is expected, next Saturday.
The Spartan, 26, Captain the Hon. C. G. J. B. Elliott,
was at Port Royal on the 23d ult.
The Fox, 42, Captain Sir H. Blackwood, is on her
way from Tangiers, to relieve Commodore Chads, in the
Cambrian, 36, in China, who will return to England.
The Albatross, 16, Commander Yorke, arrived at
Sierra Leone on the 2d of June, and was to place herself
under the orders of Captain (since Commodore) Jones,
the senior officer on the African coast, who was expected
in the Penelope, 22, steam frigate. The Growler, steam
sloop, Commander C. 11. M. Buckle, from the Brazils,
and the sloops Ringdove, 16, Commander Sir W. Daniell,
and the Wasp, 16, Commander S. H. Ussher, from the
West Indies, were ordered to reinforce the squadron on
the coast, to assist in the suppression of the slave trade.
The Pique, 36, Captain the Hon. M. Stopford, left Ja-
maica on the 10th ult., for Barbadoes, with specie.
The Vindictive, 50, now in dock here, is being expe-
dited (it is reported) for flag service on the West India
station, to relieve the Illustrious, 72, flag of Sir Charles
Adam, whose period of service has expired.
Th• Victoria and Albert royal yacht, Captain Lord
Adolphus Fitzclarence, returned to Cowes last evening,
having been out four days on a trial cruise, which has
yielded the highest satisfaction. She came into the har-
bour again this day, at twelve o'clock.
In Dock—The, Vindictive, Prince :Regent, Dwarf,
Scourge, and Athol.
In Harbour—The Victory (flag-ship pro tern), Queen,
Excellent, Sylvia, Nautilus, Fearless, Echo and Comet
steamers.

In the Basin—The Daring, Osprey, Lily, Flying Fish,
Pataloon, and Waterwitch.
SHEERNESS, AUG. 23.—The Monarch, 84, is ordered
to be brought forward for commission forthwith.
An order to enter 100 men for general service has
arrived at this dockyard, since which announcement
" many have called, but few have been chosen."
In the Harbour—The Ocean, Raven, and Africaine.
In Dock—The Monarch, Herald, Beagle, and Vernon.

PROMOTIONS.
Assistant-Surgeon.—James Allan (1837) to the rank
of surgeon.
Second-Master.—W. H. Green, of the Fearless, to the
rank of master.

Clerk.—E. Gabriel, of the Madagascar, to be pay-
master and purser.

APPOINTMENTS,
Captain.—M. IL Dixon (1 8 1 1) to the San Josef, with
the charge of the ships in ordinary at Devonport, vice
Burgoyne, whose period of service has expired.
Lieutenants.—T. J. R. Barrow, L. B. Mackinnon, G.
Pyne, J. W. Probert, S. F. Short, all additional to the
Formidable, flag-ship at Gibraltar.
Mates.—T. 11. Molyneux and R. Barrington, to the
Excellent ; J. R. Hanyard, to the St. Vincent ; W. IL
Cottony, to the Comet. _ _

Assistant•Surgeon.—W. P. Banks, M.D. (1838), of
ire Fearless, to the Crane.

Clerks.—A. Arlington (in charge), to the Alban ; J.
B. Martin (in charge), to the Lynx ; T. W. W. Spear,
to the Dwarf ; G. T. Harris, to the St. Vincent ; Mr.
Rivers, of Deptford Dockyard, to the Director of Works'
Department of Chatham Dockyard.
Masters' Assistants.—G. Raymond, to the Crane ;
Henry Petch, to the Tartarus.
Naval Cadet.—G. R. Tuckey, to the Alfred.
Boatswain.—John Stanley (sup.), of the San Josef, to
the Fox, vice Culter, superseded.

ROYAL MARINES.
PROMOTIONS.

First Lieutenant.—G. Elliott to be Captain, vice
Bridge, to half-pay.
Second Lieutenant.—W. Hutchinson to be First Lieu-
tenant, vice Elliott, promoted.

INFRIGHTFUL ACCIDENT ON BOARD THE RIVER
QUEEN.—On Wednesday afternoon, an accident of a
frightful character took place on board the River Queen
up.>n her voyage to Ipswich from Walton-on-the-Naze,
in Essex. It appears that the vessel, as usual upon days
when she takes an " Excursion," had a crowded deck
and cabin, and some parties to avoid the crush went
down into the engine room, open under the permission
of the engineer. Among these were Captain Robert
Resker, of the Zephyr brig, belonging to this port, his
wife, and several other persons. Resker afterwards
carte on deck and sat upon the hatches connected with
the light above the engine room. From this position he
was seen to rise, and then suddenly to fall backwards
through an opening upon the engine, within the works
of which he was caught, and though the engineer, prompt
at his post, atopped the way of the boat immediately, the
unfortunate man was crushed to death in an instant.—
Suffolk Chronicle.
MURDER OF A CHILD.—A child, twenty-one
months old, named Elizabeth Carpenter, died on Tues-
day at Bristol, in consequence of the ill-treatment it re-
ceived from a woman (not its mother) with whom its
father cohabited. During the absence of its father, the
unfeeling wretch was in the habit of beating the
oor
infant about the head with her clenched fist. She had
been frequently heard to declare that she hated the child,
and that if the father did not take it away, she would
kill it. On Friday an inquest was held, and the jury re-
turned a verdict of "Wilful murder against Elizabeth
Light," the woman whose brutal treatment had occa-
sioned the poor child's death.

LAW INTELLIGENCE.

COURT OF BANKRUPTCY, Aug. 24.
APPLICATIONS UNDER THE NEW ACT.

The cases of several insolvents were brought before
the Court on the question of fees to be paid on the
filing of their proceedings, and the Learned Commis•
sioner was obliged to be somewhat po_itive on the
subject, in order to counteract the opinion which
seems to exist, that men are not only to get into debt,
but to be considered "martyrs" because they happen
to be in prison. There is a sickly affectation of hu-
manity either for the debtor or creditor, instead of the
centre path, in which the truth will be found.
An attorney applied to his Honour, with a view of
ascertaining whether the schedules of insolvents in
prison could not be filed without the payment of fees
until after their discharge. He said that from what
had appeared in the newspapers the applicants thought
they could be released at once from prison.
Mr. Commissioner FONBLANQUE said that every
article that appeared in a newspaper did not constitute
law. The whole Act was to be carried out, and not
a part, and therefore it was quite impossible that pro-
ceedings could be filed without the payment of fees.
The attorney hoped the payment of 11. in each case
would be deemed sufficient till a scale of fees could be
promulgated. An advertisement of the first hearing
could be inserted in an evening paper for a less sum
than was charged by the morning papers.
The COURT said that the advertisements were for
creditors, and must be inserted in the morning papers
of known large circulation. The Commissioners were
anxious to give every facility to the discharge of men,
but in a court of law there must be certain regulation,
without which no proceedings could be satisfactorily
carried on.

The attorney again referred to the statements which
appeared in the papers and the forms published.
Mr. Commissioner FONBLANQUE (significantly)--
Take the law from the Queen's printer.
Some further discussion occurred, which ended in
the Court ordering that 30s. in each case should, in
the first instance, be deposited with the messenger of
the Court.
Mr. Commissioner FONBLANQUE intimated that in
a few days the orders would be issued; it was im-
possible to make rules instanter.