The Sun.
London, England, 1844-02-19 00:00:00

PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS.
SESSION .1844.
THE LATE "REBECCA" RIOTS IN WALES.-

There have been delivered from the " Vote-office"
parts of the following papers, namely (No. 33), a
copy of a " Proclamation issued by her Majesty to cer-
tain districts in South Wales, dated Monday, 20th
October, 1843," which was ordered by the House of
Commons, on the motion of Capt. Bernal, to be
printed, on the 15th instant. This proclamation con-
cludes with an offer of 5001. and a free pardon from
her Majesty, to any person or persons, not being the
actual perpetrator of the outrages, or incendiary fires,
or any of them recited in the body of the proclama •
tion, who shall discover and apprehend—or cause to
be discovered and apprehended—the "authors, abet-
tors, and perpetrators of any such incendiary fire—or
any such outrage—whereby life shall have been sa-
crificed; or that they or any of them shall be duly
convicted thereof;" such reward of 5001. to be paid
" for each and every person who shall be so convicted.,
Fifty pounds, and her Majesty's pardon, are also
offered, under like restrictions against the actual per-
petrators, to any person who shall, in like manner,
apprehend, or cause to be apprehended, any person or
persons concerned in any other outrages besides
these so described, within the same counties and dis-
tricts,—on their conviction.

POOR-LAW (No. 31).—Copy of the Reports of the
Poor-law Commissioners to Sir James Graham, on
the law concerning the maintenance of bastards.
(Ordered to be printed, on motion of Sir James
Graham, Feb. 14.)

NAVY (No. 16).—An account of the annual re-
ceipt and expenditure for the year ended on March 31,
1843. Presented (in the usual course) pursuant to
2 Will. IV., c. 40. (Feb. 7.)

CLONTARF MEETlNG.—Proclamation of his Excel-
lency the Lord Lieutenant, in Council, against
.meet-
ing summoned for Sunday, Oct. 8, 1843. Dated,
" Council Chamber, Dublin Castle, Oct. 7."

ACCIDENT ON THE SOUTH
WESTERN RAILWAY.

A distressing accident occurred last evening, shortly after
eight o'clock, near the Wimbledon station of the South
Western Railway. Two men named Henry Weller and
John Weller (father and son), accompanied by a third in-
dividual named Pallick, had been spending the day with
some friends at Chelsea, which place they left about eight
o'clock to return home to Ewell, in Surrey. They arrived at
that point of the road intersected by the South-Western
Railway, near Wimbledon, about half-past eight, and as it
was nearly dark did not observe the cross-gates, erected to
prevent persons crossing the line, until they were close
upon them, when John Weller called out suddenly,
" Come on, here is a train coming," and imme-
diately after throwing open the gate attempted to cross the
line. At the same instant the tive o'clock up-train from
Southampton passed by at full speed, and on Charles Pallick
(the third individual alluded to) and Henry Weller looking
round they could see nothing of the unfortunate man who
had but the instant before called out to them to follow him
across the road. One of the policemen on the line coming
up a search was made, and the unfortunate man was dis-
covered about a hundred yards from where he crossed the
road, bleeding profusely from a wound in his head, where the
skull was laid open, besides being otherwise much injured.
He was removed with all possible care, and the best means
at hand used to stay the hemorrhage. About half an hour
subsequently the Woking up-train, on being signalled by the
policeman, stopped and took in the unfortunate man, who
was conveyed in one of the first-class carriages to the Nine-
elms terminus, where medical assistance was instantly ob-
tained. The poor fellow had not then ceased to breathe, but
had remained perfectly insensible from the time of the acci-
dent.

THE AWFUL ACCIDENT AT THE
LANDSHIPPING COLLIERY.
_• (From theysTlTian,of Saturday.)

On the afternoon of Wednesday last, one of the most
dreadful and destructive events ever known in Pembrokeshire
took place at Landshipping Colliery, the property of Colonel
Owen. The short time which has intervened has not allowed
a sufficient opportunity to obtain full particulars of the sad
catastrophe ; but the following circumstances connected with
it are believed to be substantially correct. The colliery has
for very many years been in full work, giving employment
to a large number of men, women, and boys. —lt appears that
on Monday last a lot of men and boys were set to work in a
level, which was about a quarter of a mile long, and extended
a considerable distance under the bed of the river Dungleddy,
and which had not for about three years previously been
worked, for the reason, it is said, that it was not considered safe
to carry on operations there, the colliers having reported that
in one place there was a leak of salt water over their heads.
In the afternoon of Wednesday there were between forty and
fifty men and boys employed in various parts of the level. Three
of the boys, who were nearest to the mouth of the pit, were
alarmed by hearing a violent rush of water in the interior of
the works ; they instantly ran to the pit's mouth, and were
only just in time to save their lives, by climbing up the sides
of the pit, before the water filled the level—had they been a
moment later, the water would have overwhelmed them, as
it did all their unfortunate companions who were in the in-
terior. It was immediately afterwards found that a portion
of the ground underneath the mud on the side of the river, a
little above low water mark, and directly over the level, had
given way, and the tide, which was then flowing, was ob-
served to rush with great force into the fissure, so as to
drown the works, and render the escape of the hapless col-
liers utterly hopeless. Tidings of the sad calamity were
quickly conveyed to the village where the workmen had re-
sided, and as soon as the nature and extent of it were ascer-
tained, a scene of the most heart-rending kind was
exhibited among the surviving wives, mothers, and other re-
latives of the unfortunate colliers, which it is far easier to
imagine than to describe. Immediately after the poor boys
had come above ground, the landing-tub was lowered to
assist any who might be at the bottom of the pit, but when
it was pulled up it was found to contain nothing but water.
Some short time afterwards, the steward of the works went
down, but he could discover nothing but pieces of timber
floating on the water. The greater portion of the poor men
who have thus met a violent and untimely death, have left
wives and large families to deplore their loss. In addition
to the incalculable amount of distress and destitution which
the surviving relatives must inevitably sustain, the injury to
the proprietor, and the other colliers in his employ, is tre-
mendous, as it is thought that all the works on the estate
communicate internally with each other, so that it is probable
the water has extended through the whole, which may pos-
sibly occasion a total cessation of them, or, at all events, a
vast outlay of money to stop the fissure and expel the water.

THE MURDER AT PLUMSTEAD.—CONFESSION OF
THE MURDERER.—We understand that John Bodle, who was
found guilty on Tuesday last, and sentenced to twenty years'
transportation, for extorting money from Lord Abingdon's
butler, under throat of making a diabolical charge, and who,
about ten years ago, was tried at Maidstone for the murder
of his grandfather, by poison, on which occasion he was ac-
quitted, has confessed, since his confinement in Newgate,
that he did commit that murder, and that no one but himself
was concerned in the horrid transaction. _ _

The Right Hon. the Speaker of the House of Com-
mons had his second Parliamentary dinner on Saturday last,
at his private mansion in Eaton-square. Covers were laid
for 30. Lord John Russell, Viscount Palmerston, Viscount
Howick, Lord Marcus Hill, Lord Robert Grosvenor, Mr.
Byng, Right Hon. Geo. Stevens Byng, Sir Geo. Grey, Sir
John Cam Hobhouse, Right Hon. H. Labouchere, Right
Hon. Francis Thornhill Baring, Right Hon. B. Macaulay,
Mr. Vernon Smith, Sir Wm. Clay, Mr. Chas. Wood, Sir
Thos. Wilde, Rear-Admiral Deans Dundas, Mr. Tufnell, Mr.
Chas. Buller, Mr. Pendarves, Mr. More O'Ferrall, Mr. Ord,
Mr. John Parker, Mr. Wyse, Colonel Fox, and Right Hon.
R. L. Sheil, constituted:the party. Lord Seymour, Sir Thomas
Troubridge, Hon. Fox Maule, and Mr. Pigot were unavoid-
ably absent. • FIRE.—Last evening, shortly after six o, clock, an
alarming fire broke out on the premises belonging to Mr.
Worssam, newsvender and tobacconist, carrying on business
at 39, King-street, Snow-hill. The flames were first per-
ceived raging in the shop by some of the neighbours, who
immediately raised an alarm, Mr. Worssam being at the
time; in the upper part of the building. Such was the fury
of the flames, that it was found impossible to enter the pre-
mises until the arrival of the engines. There being an abun-
dant supply of water, one engine was set to work, and by
dint of great exertion, succeeded in confining the fire to that
part of the building where it commenced, and soon extin-
guished the same ; not, however, until the whole of the stock
in trade was either consumed, or rendered useless by the
action of the fire.
Gentleman Cadet Black, of the Royal Military
Academy, Woolwich, has, in consequence of ill-treatment
received from some of his companions under the vile system
termed fagging, absconded, and has not been heard of since
Saturday last.—Naval and Military Gazette.
GOVERNMENT CONTRACT FOR NEW STEAMERS.—
A circular has been issued by the Lords of the Admiralty
to the chief of our engineers, to send in, before the sth of
next month, tenders for four new steamers, two of the first
and two of the second class. The weight of the machinery,
inclusive of the boilers filled with water, is to be 350 tons
for the first class, and 300 tons for the second. The first
class coal chambers are to be capable of holding 400 tons of
coal, and for the second 350, taking each ton at 48 cubic feet.
After giving a variety of necessary directions, the invitation
to the engineers concludes by stating that those tenders,
however, which place engines of sufficient power in a space
less than 54 and 50 feet, and give the largest stowage of coals,
will be preferred.
The officers of the two regiments (the Ist Life
Guards and the Grenadier Guards) in garrison at Windsor,
have just arranged to give a second amateur performance at
the Theatre Royal on Thursday next, in aid of the charitable
institutions of the borough. At the last performance the re-
ceipts amounted to 106/. Is., independently of about 14/. re-
ceived for admissions to the full dress rehearsal.

Captain Strange, of the 13th Light Dragoons,
who escaped from the Military Lunatic Asylum, Fort,
Clarence, Chatham, on the evening of the 15th of last
January, has been discovered, in custody, at the town of
Sandbach, in Cheshire, a distance of 160 miles from London.
In the case heard in the Common Pleas, Guild-
hall, on Friday and Saturday, of the Fishmongers Company
v. Robertson and others, the jury found a verdict for the de-
fendant, damages ls.
A PITHY ANSWER.--A negro who was called on
a a 'fitness in a North Carolina court, on being examined as
to the nature of an oath, was asked if he knew what would
be the consequences here and hereafter if he swore to a lie ?
" Yes," said he, " ears off, and no share in de kingdom."
AMERICAN NEWSPAPER " Halloo, boy,
ain't you got a daddy living ?" " No, but my brothers have ?"
" What's their names ?" " Why, they're both named Bill,
except Sam, and his name's Bob ! My name's Booze, but
they calls me Boozy, for short. Anything more to ax?"—
Literary Gazette.
On Thursday, two tine mushrooms, weighing about
six ounces, were found in a field near Wheatley.—Leeds
Mercury.
SITAFTESBURY.—The scarlet fever still lingers
here—there have been several deaths through this disease
lately.—Sherborne Journal.
BAPTISM.—The Nottingham Review says :—" On
Sunday an aged female was baptised at Loughborough, in
the open air ; the ice on the surface had to be broken before
she could enter the water. She had recently joined the New
Testament disciples."