The Sun.
London, England, 1844-10-31 00:00:00

IRELA?•D.

SUBSCRIPTION FOR FATHER MATTHEW.
DUBLIN, OCT. 29.—The Duke of Leinster has for-
warded a subscription of 501., distinct from his pre-
vious contribution to the Matbew Testimonial. His
Grace has intimated that ha holds a subscription of
251. from Earl Forte: cue towards the fund for reliev-
ing Father Mathew from his pecuniary embarrass-
meas.

The following communication has been addressed
to the Dublin Evening Post:—
" 3, Smith's. buildings, Oct. 28, 1844.
" have been requested by the Dowager
Countess of Clanricarde to place in your hands a 101.
note to be applied to the fund now being collected for
the relief of Father Mathew's difficulties. It is with
great pleasure that I comply with her Ladyship's re-
quest. I have the honour to be, your obedient servant,
" CHARLES GRANBY BURKE."
Dr. Sheil, of Ballyshannon, has received the fol-
lowing letter : " Cork, Oct. 25, 1844.
"My dear Friend,—l want words to express my
gratitude for your untiring zeal in the sacred cause of
telnperance, and your great kindness to myself.
" Teetotalism owes much to your exertions, and I
partly attribute to your example the strict fidelity
with which the pledge is observed in Ballyshannon
and the surrounding districts.
" By coming to my aid in the hour of my embar-
rassments, when many were inclined to abandon me
to my fate, you have added to the obligations already
expressed. With fervent prayers for your happiness,
I am, dear Dr. Sheil, yours mot sincerely,
" THEOBALD MATHEW.
" To John Sheil, Esq., M.D., Ballyshannon,
County Donegal."
THE COMMISSION COURT.

The Lord Chief Justice and Chief Baron Brady
took their seats in Court at ten o'clock.
CHARGE OF MURDER.—Elizabeth 11PDonnell was
charged with the wilful murder of her infant child,
at Palmerstown, on the 20th August. The indictment
contained twelve counts.

Mr. Brewster, the lion. Mr. Plunket, and Mr.
M‘Kane attended for the Crown ; Mr. Curran for the
prisoner.
The first witness called was a little girl, of appa-
rently eight years of age, the daughter of the accused.
She was taken to the table weeping bitterly, and when
the mother and her child were confronted, the
scene became extremely distressing—both cried bit-
terly ; the grief of the former being exhibited in the.
most agonising exclamations of sorrow and despair.
The CHIEF Bartoly asked Mr. Brewster if it was
the child who had lodged information in the case ?
Mr. Brewster replied in the affirmative.
The CHIEF BARON observed that the child was very
young, and, probably, instead of coming into Court
from a sense of justice, she was acting from what she
conceived to be a pressure of obligation, the weight
and influence of which she did not understand.

Mr. Brewster admitted he felt a difficulty in the
case, but the indictment was preferred from a sense
of duty.
The CHIEF BARON said the child was a passive in
in the hands of the Crown.

Mr. Brewster admitted such to be the fact, and was
willing to act as their Lordships directed.
Mr. Curran said, that if the prisoner pleaded guilty
to the charge of "concealing the birth of her child,"
the Crown would, perhaps, abandon the charge for
the capital offence.
Mr. Brewster consented to the proposition—his
own feelings concurred in it, and his opinion was that
the case would end in the manner suggested.
The CHIEF BARON said that, on reading the infor-
mations he felt it would be difficult to maintain the case
against the prisoner.
The CHIEF JUSTICE observed, that there were many
circumstances in the case tending to throw much sus-
picion and doubt upon it, and to lead to the impression
that the allegation could not be fully and clearly sus-
tained.

The indictment for murder was then withdrawn,
and a verdict returned of "guilty of the concealment,"
and the prisoner was removed.
TRIAL OF HENRY MURPHY, SOLICITOR.—Henry
Murphy, one of the attorneys, was charged with burn-
ing several original documents connected with a suit
in Chancery, in which the prosecutor here was the
plaintiff. These documents were receipts for rent,
and necessary in the progress of the suit. Mr. Mur-
phy claimed from Captain Richardson the sum of 50/.
as the balance of a bill of costs, which it was alleged
he never furnished, and when the legality of his
charge was questioned, he wrote to the captain to say,
that he would burn one of the documents every day
until he received the money, and until all were con-
sumed.

The case was stated by Mr. Brewster, and the let-
ters formed a remarkable portion of his address to the
jury. It would appear by the letters of the prisoner
that he burned four documents, as he wrote on four
occasions to Captain Richardson, enclosing the ashes
of burned paper, with a small portion of each docu-
ment to satisfy him that they had been actually
destroyed.
Thomas Morrin, one of the conducting clerks in the
Rolls Chancery-office, produced the bill in the cause
of Richardson v. Preston, for the purpose of showing
the court the nature of the suit in which Mr Murphy
was engaged.
Captain Richardson deposed that he had handed.
Mr. Murphy all the documents necessary for conduct-
ing the suit in Chancery. He identified the portion
of a burned receipt, which he received enclosed in a
letter, in the handwriting of Mr. Murphy. He also
identified portions of other material documents sent to
him in letters, written by the traverser. Some of the
ashes of paper was contained in each letter.
Mr. Curran objected to the reading of the pieces of
paper which purported to be receipts, inasmuch as
they were not stamped.
Mr. Brewster held they were "exhibits" in the
cause—as such were described in the indictment—
and should be received as legal evidence in this pro-
secution.
Mr. Curran contended that the case did not come
within the meaning of the Act under which the pri-
soner was indicted, as that Act only contemplated
the protection of records in public offices.
The CHIEF BARON, in charging the jury, expressed
his opinion that the documents were public, inasmuch
as they formed part of a suit
pending in a superior
court.
The jury, after an absence of seven minutes, re-
turned with a verdict of—Guilty.
The prisoner was then removed in custody of the
gaoler.
DISTURBANCES IN GALWAY.—The steam frigate
Cyclops has gone round from Tarbert to Galway Bay
to assist in quelling disturbances arising out of dis-
puted rights of fisheries.
ATTEMPT AT MURDER IN IRISIITOWN.-011 Sun-
day a man named Francis Beddy, who resides at
Irishtown, whilst at dinner with his wife, attempted
to murder her by stabbing her with a knife in the
side. The alarm was given, and the culprit was at
once secured. The woman was taken to Vincent s
Hospital, Stephen's-green, where she remains under
the care of Surgeon Ferran. The wound is of a very
serious nature, but the doctors hope not of a vital
character. The prisoner was brought before the ma-
gistrates of College-street office yesterday, and re-
manded for further examination until the result of
the injury can be satisfactorily ascertained.

A SECOND CROP or FRUIT.--About three weeks
ago, some strawberry plants in the garden of Mr. J.
Bancroft, a retired farmer, of Mayfield cottage, Nyitton ,
near Northwich, were observed to be a second time in
flower, and though there was but little expectation that
the blossom would ripen and mature into perfect fruit,
the gardener induced Mr. Bancroft to let the plants alone,
even at the risk of losing their produce next summer, in
order to see how far they would progress in the ripen-
ing of the fruit at this late period of the year. Accord-
ingly the plants were let alone, and on Monday last we
had brought to our office some very fine strawberry
blossoms, and two large strawberries ; one, measuring
upwards of three inches in circumference, was scarcely
mature, but the other was quite ripe ; and we found it to
be much better flavoured, and containing more saccha-
rine matter than this fruit possessed on the average
during the last season. We understand that upwards of
a pint of strawberries were gathered in the garden on
Sunday last. It is right to state that these plants were
not protected or sheltered by walls, nor close to any
source of artificial heat, but were in the open garden, on
a slope near a fish-pond, having, however, the advantage
of the sun's rays during the morning and the middle of
the day. With the strawberries and blossom was also
brought from the same garden a small twig of a black-
currant bush, with fruit upon it, passing from the green
into the darker colour which betokened ripening. The
tree on which this fruit is now exhibiting a second crop
this season is not near a wall, but only has the morning
sun. There is not a forcing-glass about the premises,
and the only manure applied during the year, and that
only once, either to the strawberry-plants or the currant-
bushes, was some horse-dung. The bush was well
covered with fruit ; but we understand that one or two
frosts during the night last week have caused it to fall in
considerable quantities, and what remains cannot of
course be expected to become ripe. Manchester
Guardian.

A Court Leet of the Savoy precinct was held yes-
terday, the proceedings of which were rendered worthy
of public notice only by the very creditable conduct of
the Chairman of the Court, Sir John Dean Paul, who
refused to receive the presentation of the jury until they
had reported the nuisance of several print and book-
shops of an improper character which have recently
sprung up in the Strand—in the very face of the greatest
thoroughfare in London—and he adjourned the Court, in
)rder to give the jury an opportunity of performing what
ne considered a part of their duty to the, public.
MILDNESS OF THE SOUTH VALES SEASON.—The
" duck and green peas," so dear to gourmanderie, is a
daily dish with us here at the end of October. In the
garden of Mr. Morgan, of Dark-gate, there are now
some of the finest peas we have ever seen. Several of
our gardens look like spring. In Mr. Brodribb's, of
Bellevue school, for example, there are budding straw-
berries, and more than one of the apple trees is in bloom.
6 Welshman.

SADLERS' WELLS THEATRE.
The play of the City Mothan was produced at this
theatre last everting, with the most brilliant success.
The bills announce it as Massinger's play of the City
Madam; but we are almost inclined to demur to this
title, for the play has been so altered in the course of
adaptation that we doubt whether, if Massinger were
to be recalled to life, and taken to Sadler's Wells, he
would be enabled to recognise his own production.
The character of the Astrologer is altogether omitted,
and thus the key to the character of Lady Frugal
is therefore lost. She is wayward, capricious, tyran-
nical, haughty, and vain, and she forces her daughters
to become the same, because the Astrologer has fore-
told for them all the most brilliant destiny, and she
has implicit faith in his predictions, and despises her
husband, as bigotry only can despise, for his want of
faith. The daughters are reduced to mere walking
ladies ; and one of them, Mary, is made a pattern of
kind-heartedness—the sentimental heroine of the
piece, who calls her uncle " Good Master Luke"
while in his dependant state, and brings tears
into his eyes by her kindness. This kindness is made
good use of in the denouement. In the last scene,
Luke is about to turn his brother's wife and children
into the street to starve, when he sees Mary—the
remembrance of her "good master Luke" rushes back
upon his mind : he pauses, and in agony of tears,
hugs her to his bosom—recals her mother and sister,
repents of his cruelty, and when his brother enters,
kneels at his feet, and entreats his forgiveness. This
scene, to make use of the stage phraseology goes re-
markably well, and, acted as it was last night—Phelps
and Miss Cooper were very effective—but it is not
Messinger. Nay, more, it is contrary to the cha-
racter of Luke. The Luke of Messinger is one of
the most original characters in the whole range of
our English drama. It would not have been unworthy of
Shakspeare himself. He is the impersonation of a
self-seeker—the embodiment of what the French call
Egoisme. Inheriting an ample fortune, he is licen-
tious, profligate, extravagant, vicious ; reduced to
poverty, he is humble, obsequious, time-serving, hy-
pocritical—a dependent on his brother's bounty, yet
conniving at schemes of robbery. Love of approba-
tion is also, as a phrenologist would say, remarkably
developed in Luke. During the whole course of his
profligate career he seems to have been most popular
with his debauched companions. In his days of ad-
versity he is humble with Lady Frugal, and although
she treats him with the greatest tyranny, yet we
doubt whether Luke is not, in consequence of
rendering himself useful to her, less ill-treated
by her than any other person with whom she comes
in contact: with Sir Maurice Lacy, he is the repentant
sinner full of moral sayings and self-denial, the
pleader for mercy for other men ; with his brother's
apprentices he is their tutor in dishonesty, their
pander in debauchery. lie understands the nature
of those by whom he is surrounded, and by minister-
ing to their failings becomes the favourite of all. He
becomes at once possessed of his brother's immense
wealth. Those very men who had been by him
begged off, while they were debtors to his brother,
are by him arrested and thrown into gaol when he
becomes the creditor. Sir John Frugal, while con-
senting,onger time, atm e,the
desiresi be nstanthceat ofit Luke,may notto give them
l
men-
tioned on 'Change, as he should be laughed at.
Master Luke having succeeded to his brother's position,
determined he will not be laughed at, and therefore
he revokes that grant of further time which his brother
had made at his instance. He has learned prudence,
not virtue, by adversity, and thus exhibits himself as
a miser and solitary debauchee. He does not turn
his brother's wife and children into the street to starve,
had he done so " the world would have talked," and
Luke is one of those who would fain stand well with
the world ; but he would also fain be revenged on
Lady Frogal, and get rid of the expense of her main •
tenance and that 'of her daughters; and therefore he
endeavours by promises of a brilliant alliance with an
Indian Prince to induce her and her daughters to go
to Virginia with certain Indians, having previously
arranged with the Indians that' they shall be
sacrificed on the instant of their arrival.
These Indians are his brother and his brother's
friends in disguise, and thus the denouement is brought
about in -the original. This is certainly a very dif-
ferent character to the Luke of last evening • the
Luke of Massinger would never have been driven
from his purpose by a " good master Luke." The
City Madam, as acted at the Sadler's IVells, is a very
clever and a very effective play ; the interest is well
sustained, and it deserves to have a long run, but the
City Madam of Massinger has yet to be revived.
Phelp's Luke was an impersonation full of energy and
power—very effective throughout, but occasionally
wanting repose; for instance, he gave the beautiful
soliloquy, descriptive of the treasure he had inherited,
more like a man who had been robbed of his
riches than one who had just come into possession
of them. If he would in this scene be a
little less energetic the audience would be better able
to appreciate the beauty of the language, and the
exquisite rythm of Massinger, who in this soliloquy
has given us one of the most magnificent descriptions
in the whole range of EnglishO poetry, in'comparison
with which even Spencer s " Home of Riches" must
be admitted to be inferior. In the last scene he was
admirable. Every sneer told with withering effect,
and the transition from hate to tenderness on the sight
of Mary, was given with a power which belongs to
none but an artist of the highest order. He was
called for at the conclusion, and loudly and deservedly
applauded. George Bennett, as Sir John Frugal,
was very effective; it was the most evenly acted
character of the night. There were none of those
brilliant flashes by which the Luke of Phelps was
distinguished, but it was perfectly sustained through-
out—it was faultless. Mrs. Warner was most
amusingly viragoish as Lady Frugal, and the other
characters were well sustained. The house was
crowded.

COURT CIRCULAR.
WINDSOR, WEDNESDAY.--The Queen went in a
pony carriage this morning to the riding-school,
accompanied by Prince Albert, and attended by
Major-General Wemyss and Colonel Bouverie. Her
Majesty returned to the Castle on horseback with his
Royal Highness.
The Judge Advocate-General arrived at the Castle
this morning, and had an audience of her Majesty.
Sir Robert and Lady Sale arrived at the Castle to-
day, on a visit to the Queen.
The Earl of Ellenborough had an audience of the
Queen this afternoon.
Sir Henry Wheatley arrived yesterday evening at
the Castle, and took his departure to-day.
His Royal Highness Prince Albert, the Earls of
Liverpool and Ellenborough, and Sir Robert Peel,
walked out in the Home Park and the pleasure-
grounds.
The royal dinner party at the Castle this evening
included her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent,
Lady Charlotte Dundas, Countess Wratislaw, the
Rev. Edward Moore, and Sir George Couper.
The band of the Scots Fusilier Guards were in at-
tendance during dinner. Her Majesty's private band
afterwards attended at the Castle, and performed the
remainder of the evening.

Their Royal Highnesses the Duchess of Cambridge,
and the Hereditary Grand Duke and Duchess of Meek-
lenburgh Strelitz, arrived at Kew on Tuesday evening
from a visit to the Marquis and Marchioness of Ailes-
bury, at Tottenham Park, Wilts.
The Duke of Cambridge visited her Royal High-
ness the Duchess of Gloucester yesterday, at Glou-
cester House. His Royal Highness afterwards left
town for Kew.
The Lord Chancellor has appointed eleven o'clock
on Saturday morning next, to signify her Majesty's
approbation of the Lord Mayor elect. Afterwards
the Lord Chancellor will give to the Judges, &c., the
usual first day of term breakfast. Each ceremony
will take place at his Lordship's residence in George-
street.
Her Majesty's Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms at-
tended at the opening of the Royal Exchange, and
lined the Throne-room, commanded by Lord Forester.
The Hon. Sir Edward Butler, Lieutenant ; Mr. J.
B. Curling, Adjutant; Mr. Wilson, the Harbinger,
and Sir Benjamin Smith, C. S., were on duty.
Dispatches from the Governor of Malta, the Lord
High Commissioner of the lonian Islands, and also
from the Governor of Gibraltar, were received yes-
terday at the Colonial-office.

PUGILISTIC ENCOUNTER FOR ONE HUNDRED
PouNDs.—Yesterday the fight between Paddy Gill and
George Holden (of Birmingham) came off, in the pre-
sence of a great assemblage of the Birmingham and
London pugilistic fancy, and, from the well-known
merits of the men, and the heavy stakes pending the
result, much interest was created. In betting, sto 4 was
laid on Gill. A ring having been formed, the combatants,
with their seconds, entered, and immediately commenced
the contest, both displaying great science and hard
hitting. When the contest had occupied thirty minutes,
it was quite apparent the battle was in the hands of Gill,
but Holden continued to fight with great courage, and
ultimately, Gill came off the winner.
PUBLIC PARKS AND WALKS.—We have already
noticed the handsome contributions of Mark Philips,
Esq., M.P., and of Sir George Philips, and we have now
the pleasure to record the subscription of the clerks,
salesmen, warehousemen, and porters, in the ware-
house of the firm of which our excellent representa-
tive is a member—Messrs. J. and N. Philips and Co.,
Church-street. Including all classes of employees,
youths, porters, &c., we find that ninety individuals in
this establishment have contributed the very large and
liberal amount of 2211. 2s. in aid of the fund for public
parks ! We regsrd this as one of the most remarkable
contributions yet made towards this admirable object,
and we have no doubt, that it is by no means the first
in point of time—though the largest in amount—yet
recorded, so it will have a long line of worthy followers
in no spirit of envious rivalry, but rather in that gene-
rous and benevolent impulse of honourable emulation,
in which it is not only allowable but commendable to
" provoke to love and good works."—Manchester
Guardian.