The Sun.
London, England, 1845-04-28 00:00:00

SIR ROBERT PEEL.

The following has been sent to us by Dr. Sheil, of Bally-
shannon, in the county of Donegal :
"Dear Dr. Sheil,—My almost continued absence from Cork
during the last and present month has prevented me from
acknowledging the receipt of your interesting letter. lam
now about to enter the coach for Lough Brickland, where I
am to administer the pledge on next Sunday.
"With respect to the speeches at repeal dinners, and the
performance of temperance bands at such parties and at poli-
tical processions, you must be aware that I cannot prevent
what is complained of. These are faithful teetotallers, dear
friend, and were amongst the most ardent Orangemen of
Ulster, attending Orange processions, and playing the 'lli .yne
Water;' and I have never complained, much less attempted
to prevent, the one or the other.
"All I require is total abstinence from all intoxicating
drinks, and from all religious or political subjects in their
temperance rooms or their public meetings.
" I am proud to be able to assert that there is scarcely an
instance of the violation of this rule. _

"That truly great and good man, Sir Robert Peel, is ful
tilling all the anticipations I formed of his administration.
"He will soon pacify and calm Ireland, and make our un-
happy country prosperous. lam much limited as to time
now, but I shall write to you, God permitting, on my return
from the county Down.
" Believe me, dear Dr. Sheil, yours affectionately,
" THEOBALD MATHEW.
" Cork, April 17, 1845."

BATHS AND INTAsmiousEs.—An experiment ha,
been made at the Eastern Asylum for the Houseless Poor which
has most satisfactorily proved that the very lowest of the poor will
gladly avail themselves of facilities for personal cleanliness. On the
evening of March 29, the apparatus, conaistirg of a boiler and tanks,
with two hot baths (convertible into vapour baths), six wash tubs,
and a drying closet, through which a draught of hot air is driven
with great velocity, was first used. At first there was some re.
luctance on the part of the inmates to use the baths; but as
soon as they had felt the refreshment of the warm water and
clean clothes, they eagerly availed themselves of it. During
the first five days 86 persons bathed and washed ; during
the last five (the apparatus having been used nineteen days
altogether) the number was 391—the total being 987. The
improvement effected in the personal appearance of the in
mates far exceeded all expectations ; many a countenance
became pleasing which before was disgusting, and no doubt
was left that soap and warm water conld work wonders with
the poor. The Baths and Washhouses' Committee are, we un-
derstand, making arrangements for enabling the very poor, who
cannot afford any payment to bathe and wash gratuitously during
the summer ; and we hope that, by encouraging a taste for clean-
liness among the very lowest, a good effect may be produced on
those who, though in circumstances enabling them to keep them-
selves and their families out of absolute filth, are induced as much
by the force of surrounding example as by any other circumstance,
to content themselves with being no dirtier than their neighbours.
ENGLAND RUlNED.—Englishmen may not be
aware of the calamity that has fallen upon their beloved land ;
but—we cannot, we ought not, to suppress the terrible
news—England is ruined! She is a done State—a wreck—
the skeleton of a once mighty nation, henceforth to take
her mournful place in history with the Phoenician and
Roman empires. The cause of this vast destruction is that
terrible Irishman, that fire-eating Milesian, that very hot
potato, Mr. H. Grattan. It is but a very few days ago that that
awful person declared he had done with us for ever and ever ;
and this declaration he solemnised with a thumping oath,
loudly cheered at the Conciliation Hall. Then and there
he swore that "he took his leave of the gentlemen 01
England ;" then and there he avowed his stern determination
" never willingly to draw a sword in their behalf, or give
them a guinea of his money." We cling to the hope that
Grattan the Terrible may yet be mollified ; for when we re.
fleet how often and how valorously he has dravrn his sword for
England—when we remember how generously, yea, how magnifi-
cently, he has expended his treasure in her behalf—what can she
do, how can she exist, deprived henceforth of the Hon. Gentleman's
steel and gold ? If Grattan remain inexorable, our countrymen
may next week expect to see England in the Gazette, with not
even the hope of a farthing dividend !—Punch.

RAILROADS.—The lines already traversing this part
of the country are making rapid progress. The rails are all laid
down between Cambridge and Ely, and the bridges over the Paper
Mills.road and over the Hills-road are rapidly advancing towards
completion.—Cambridge Advertiser.
AN Ar.num OF CRIME.—In the possession of a man
named Harrison, convicted of a highway robbery near Leeds, and
sentenced to transportation, a diary has been found, consisting of
a record of all his robberies ! The book is small and neat, is gilt.
edged, and forms, in fact, a sort of robber's album. It would ap-
pear, from one of the entries, that a man named White, convicted
of highway robbery at the same assizes, was in reality (as he him-
self solemnly protested) innocent of the crime, and that Harrison
was the robber.—Lancashire Paper.
THE FRIENDS AND MEMBERS OF THE BRITISH
SOCIETY FOR THE PROPAGATION OF THE GOSPEL AMONG
TUE JEWS.—A meeting was held on Friday evening at the
Freemasons' Tavern, Queen-street. The chair was taken by
John Dean Paul, Esq. Mr. Henderson (the Secretary) reau
last year's report, from which it appeared that the Society,
at present confining its exertions to the Jews of this country,
had employed well qualified persons to deliver lectures espe-
cially addressed to the Jews in the different towns and cities
of this kingdom. One missionary had been profitably lis-
tened to by no less than 750 persons in this metropolis ;
while at Birmingham, Bristol, and Manchester, no less than
1,500 Jews had had the blessings of the Gospel expounded to
them. Applications had been made to this Society from a
similar Society in America, asking their co-operation for the
conversion of the Jews in that country, where there were not
less than 60,000 individuals of that persuasion. The funds
of the Society were derived chiefly from donations and sub-
scriptions; but a considerable sum had been collected at the
lectures. The amount received last year was 1,107/. 3s. 2d.,
while the expenses amounted to 809/. 19s. 3d., leaving a
balance in hand of 2971. as. lid.
THE LATE ACCIDENT AT ASIITON-UNDER-LTNE.—
ASHTON, TUESDAY NIGHT—In the course of the day three more of
the bodies have been recovered by the unwearied exertions of the
men who are employed in removing the fallen materials. The last
was taken out from near the bed of the river, to which, in one
part, the workmen have reached, the water being banked off by the
stones, dm., of the fallen arches. It seems now to be pretty well
understood that only two more of the workmen are still missing,
and supposed to be under the ruins. One of those who were taken
out alive has since died in the Manchester Infirmary, to which he
had been removed, there being no public institution in Ashton for
the reception of such cases. The funeral of seven of the deceased
took place this afternoon, in the parish churchyard, and was attend.
ed by an immense crowd of spectators. The bodies were followed
by the whole of the men who had been employed on the line at the
time of the accident. Speculation is still busy in endeavouring to
ascertain the real cause of the accident, but opinion seems to be
settling down upon the fact that the pillar of the third arch had
sunk, and led to the fatal catastrophe, and that blame cannot there-
fore properly attach to any one. Many people, however, express a
very different opinion. But until the facts arc fully brought nut
by the examination of able and scientific men, who it is understood
will be brought forward on the adjourned ',inquest, nothing satis.
factory can be known.

THE NEW NOVEL or "SELF," by the author of
" Cecil," will certainly add to the reputation of its ano
nymous author, and in a manner rather unexpected.
For wit and sprightliness we were prepared by the re-
collection of "Cecil," but in the new work pathos i.-
combined with varying interest and originality of charac-
ter. In short, " Self ' is valuable as a pastime—valuable
as a lesson. A moral purpose which was deficient in
" Cecil" has been worked out in the new story, which
contains the most life-like pictures of aristocratic life
as connected with the political history of the day. It
may be placed in the same rank with the novels of Edge.
worth, though the reader for mere amu,ement may pos-
sibly prefer those brilliant touches and witty dialogues
which remind him of Lady Morgan or D'lsraeli. L.
either case, a lasting reputation tray be predicted for it,
and like the novels of Edgeworth, Austen, and Ferrier,
after fulfilling its first purpose of exciting and amusing
the idlers of the season, it will remain one of tho.c
standard works indispensable to a country-house, as a
truthful and valuable picture of national manners—since
the moralist, the scholar, and the mere reader for diver
sion will equally find their accosmr.t in its vigorous pages.
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These splendid specimens of the perruquean art, supe-
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anti are the sole invention of Ross and Sons, 119 and
120, Bishopsgate-street, London. N.B. Splendid hair-
cutting apartments on the ground flour, the whole of the
walls being lined with looking-glass, i la mode de Paris.
ACCIDENTS IN TIIE METROPOLIS.—From statis-
tical information gathered by the indefatigable Se!-
.3.oo,sopoitcoalosr
alland
descriptions infirmaries,
occurit appearsannually, that t h
chretary to the Accident Relief Society, from the various
of whichTe
at
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beenthemadeLordgreatindustriousma-
jority
t
Man-
ners,
appreciated, and several new
so-
ciety, have already
owing to the very great number tv)ery
Forward in aid of the institution,
depressed condition,
from all parts of the metropmouseraul tchleaiTuabnurtsbfßo: relief