The Sun.
London, England, 1844-07-08 00:00:00

UNION-HALL.

Ann Skidmore, and two young women, her daughters, were
charged before Mr. Train with robbing a young country girl,
named Files, under circumstances of great aggravation.
It appeared that the elder prisoner met with the com-
plainant, a girl seventeen years of age, at Manchester, and
gave her such a flourishing account of " Lunnon," and the
little difficulty of getting plenty of work, as to induce her to
quit her native place. They arrived in town on Monday last,
and the prisoner, under a threat of " ripping her up,' took
forcible possession of the poor girl's bundle, containing some
articles of dress, and then left her, desiring her to get back to
Manchester as well as she could. Since then the complainant
has been wandering about the streets, and sleeping in the
union workhouses of a night, not having the means of getting
home. The prisoners were taken into custody at Peckham
the preceding night, being seen
_there by the complainant,
applying to get a night's lodging in the workhouse.
The prisoners, who denied the charge, were committed
for fourteen days, and the complainant was ordered to be
passed to Manchester, and recommended never to leave home.

IRELAND.
IMPRISONMENT OF MR. O'CONNELL.

DUBLLN, JULY 4.—The Freeman's Journal of this day,
says—" The following is the form of prayer agreed on by the
assembled Hierarchy to be used upon the 28th inst. through-
out the Catholic Church of Ireland :

" PRAYER.

" 0 Almighty and eternal God ! Kiag of Kings, and su-
preme Lord of all earthly. powers, be graciously pleased to
look down with compassion upon the people of this country,
and mercifully put an end to their sufferings. Give them pa-
tience to endure their unexampled privations, and fill their
rulers with the spirit of truth, humanity, and justice. Unite
all classes in a persevering love of country, cordial allegiance
to our beloved Sovereign, and charity towards each other.
Direct our legislators to enact laws founded upon the holy
commandments, and make Ireland prosperous and happy ;
and as thy servant Daniel O'Connell, who has laboured with
so much zeal and perseverance to promote these sacred ob-
jects, is now detained in captivity, give him grace to bear his
trials with resignation, and in thy mercy vouchsafe to restore
him to liberty, for the guidance and protection of thy people,
through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.'
SPYING IN THE IRISH POST-OFFICE.

In referring to the debate on Mr. Duncombe's motion, the
Dublin Evening Post says :--,6 We observe that Sir James
Graham, in an endeavour to divide the responsibility of the
letter-opening system, has lugged in poor Lord De Grey, on
the eve of his departure, and has suggested that the Irish.
branch of the Post-office should be included in the inquiry
We trust that this suggestion, although emanating from the
Home Secretary, will be adopted. We have no doubt that
the spy system has been 'in operation in Sackville-street as
well as in St. Martin's-le-Grand. Indeed, we have heard some
curious statements on this subject, referring especially to the
period of the State trials."
ILLNESS OF CHIEF JUSTICE PENNEFATHER.

Saunders's Near Lite; s-a;;;:—" The Lord Chief Justice,
being indisposed, will not go the north-west circuit at the
ensuing assizes, and the result of this will be the change of
several of the circuits which the judges had fixed upon.
Baron Richards takes the place of Baron Lefroy on the
Leinster circuit, and the latter, it is understood, goes the
Connaught. Mr. Sergeant Warren is unwilling to take the
duty of a judge on himself, in consequence of the illness of a
member of his family, and Sergeant Stock being absent, and
Sergeant Howley attending the quarter sessions in the county
of Tipperary, Mr. Brewster or Mr. Henn are named as the
counsel most likely to be sent."
The intention to encamp a force on the Curragh of Kildare,
this summer, is abandoned. _ _

LORD HEYTESLIRRY'S HOUSEpOLD.—The Evening Mail
states that Lord Heytesbury has, " with the greatest kind-
ness," consented to retain the greater part of the household
of his predecessor. It is added that the following officers of
the staff go out with Lord. Da Grey :—Captains Lindesay,
Cole, Maude, and Sir William Don.

THE DERBY DISPUTE.
WOOD v. PEEL.
TO THE _EDITOR OF THE SUN.

Sin,—l am, as the solicitor of Mr. Alexander Wood, the
plaintiff in the above issue, desired brhim to beg you will
insert in your Journal the following exculpatory statement :
Mr. Goodman being the owner of the horse called Running
Rein, and indebted to Mr. 'Wood in a considerable sum of
money, sold the horse with his engagements to Mr. Wood,
in consideration of the debt, and of a further advance, upon
the terms that if the horse should be the winner of the
Derby, Mr. Wood should, in addition thereto, pay Mr. Good-
man, or his nominees, so much of the stakes as should exceed
the amount of the debt, the advance, and subsequent ex-
penses This transaction occurred after the horse bed been
I) •
proved, to the satisfaction of the stewards at Newmaiket, to
be Running Rein, and Mr. Wood was assured by Mr.:Good.
man that there were numerous other witnesses who could
prove that fact, besides the one who was examined at grew •
market. The horse having been entered for the Derby in
the name of Mr. Goodman, was, upon the sale taking place,
transferred into the name of Mr. Wood ; the horse being
afterwards alleged to be four years old, Mr. Wood caused him
to be examined by an experienced person, who pronounced
him to be three, and not four years old. I refrain from
after he found the tide of
asag'ainst the horse, he at first
in ' ss t
rong name,ly
pumebniticioonpiningiotnhetopeserst
wavered in the opinion which he had given, and afterwards
retracted it. This and a similar occurrence—of which the
public are well aware—respecting Leander, and the assertion
of one of the highest veterinary surgeons, published in the
sporting journals, that the mouth of a horse is a fallible cri-
terion of its age, induced Mr. Wood to Lelieve such to be the
fact, and that an examination of the horse's mouth would not
further the ends of justice. Immediately, however, that it
appeared upon the trial, that the production of the horse was
desired by Colonel Peel's advisers, for the purpose of identity,
and not the mere examination of his mouth, Mr. Wood de-
termined that he should be produced if the trial proceeded,
and his firm resolution on that point produced the sudden
termination of the trial.
Mr. Wood's beneficial interest in the stakes being but
small, he endeavoured to avoid a lawsuit, and to have the
dispute decided by the stewards. But the instant that Col. Peel
commenced the action, in which the issue Wood v. Peel was
framed, Mr. Wood refused, in my presence, and with my ad-
vice, as his solicitor, to litigate a matter in which he had so
little interest, but being most positively assured, and believ-
ing that the horse was Running Rein, he, upon receiving a
bond of indemnity, permitted those who had a greater inter-
est than himself in the stakes, to use his name for the pur-
pose of trying the question, and to employ theirown attorney,
the use of Mr. Wood's name being necessary for the purpose.
In conclusion, I beg to contradict an erroneous impression,
which I hear exists, that Mr. Alexander Wood is the same
person as, or related to, or connected with, the plaintiff in
the action, Wood v. Ledbitter, which was tried a few days
since.
Mr. A. Wood is a corn chandler and coal merchant at
Epsom, where he has resided and carried on that business
nearly 20 years, and where his real character as an honest
and upright man is well known.
Mr. A. Wood has been at my office every day this week,
for the purpose of seeing and consulting me ou the above
matter, but I have been 'unavoidably absent, otherwise I
should have been present with him at the trial, and have of-
fered this explanation at a much earlier period.
I am, Sir, your very obedient servant,
1, Lincoln's Inn-fields. A. R. STEELE.

THE REAL METHOD OF SEAL
BREAKING.
Public attention has been of late very properly directed to
the odious system of espionage which has been long prac-
tised at the Post-office, under the authority of the British
Secretary of State ; and many of the journals have pre-
tended to describe te agency by which the operation of
taking fac-similes of seals has been accomplished, but evi-
dently with little knowledge of the subject. Some of them
have stated that the imitation seal was produced by placing
a plate of lead on the wax impression, which, when smartly
struck, presented a perfect fac-simile of the original ; but this
is a palpable absurdity. The operation is much simpler;
and by the process adopted at the Post-office, a score of
spurious seals can be produced in a few minutes, and with
the utmost precision and certainty. The spurious seal by
which it is intended to reseal the opened letters, is taken in
plaster of Paris, and with so much accuracy as to defy de-
tection. It is, in fact, the process by which our beautiful
casts of medals and coins are taken, as well as that by which
the lower gangs of coiners are enabled to cast exact fac-
similes of our silver coinage in base metal.
It appears that in the secret, or inner bureau of the Post-
office, - the appropriate apparatus for casting is always in
readiness. It simply consists of a small cylindrical, annular
brass mould, about an inch in height, which opens and shuts
like a bullet mould. After the seal has been oiled, to prevent
the plaster adhering, this mould is placed upon it, and
the plaster of Paris, mixed in the usual way, is poured upon
it. In about five minutes it hardens, or sets, as it is techni-
cally called ; and in about as many minutes more is fit for
re-sealing the letter, which has been opened by the applica-
tion of a hot iron to the seal, and a copy of its contents duly
taken. If a wafer should have been used, a little hot water
or steam will soon remove the obstruction.—Atlas.

A number .of Welshmem arrived at Seghill oI
Tuesday afternoon, to take the places of those pitmen for-
merly employed at the colliery, but who are at present mi
strike. A number of persons assembled, but there was iv
inclination to a breach of the peace.—Newcastle paper.
LANCASHIRE AND YORKSHIRE JUNCTION RAIL.
WAY.—This line is projected to connect the Blackburn and
Preston Railway with the Leeds and Bradford Railway, pas-
sing through or near the several towns of Blackburn, Church.
Accrington, Whalley, Clitheroe, Padiham, Burnley, Colne.
Skipton, Keighley, Bingley, Shipley, and Bradford, forming
a continuous line from the port of Hull, on the east coast, ti
the ports of Liverpool and Fleetwood, on the west coast, with
a branch at Accrington, through the town of Haslingden, tc
the Manchester, Bury, and Rossendale Railway—forming a
direct communication with the town of Manchester. The
length of railway to be made, including the branch at Ac-
crington, will be about 45 miles. A branch to Shipton
also suggested. Sir George Strickland, Bart , M.P. ; Sir C.
R. Tempest, Bait ; R. Townley Parker, Esq. ; C. Royds,
Esq. ; M. Wilson, jun., Esq. ; and other gentlemen interested
n the district through which the line will pass, are raembere
th PlOlBlOll4 Committee.—Railway .&cord.