The Sun.
London, England, 1844-06-18 00:00:00

CLERKENWELL.

Mrs. Margaret Broughton, the wife of a surgeon, residing x
I, Old North-street, Red Lion-square, was charged wit)
stabbing Mrs. Jane Brockett with a knife.

A surgeon's certificate was produced, stating that the pro-
secutris was unable to attend.

Police-constable Andrews, 65 E, deposed being on duty in
Old North-street. Between one and two o'clock on Sunday
morning he heard cries of " Police" proceed from No. 4, and
on entering the parlour of that house saw Mrs. Brockett bleed-
ing from a wound on the right arm ; the wound seemed to
be deep, and was about an inch in length. She said the
prisoner had stabbed her with a knife, and gave her in
charge. Witness understood that the interference of the pro-
secutrix between the prisoner and her sister, who were quar-
relling, Was the cause of the stabbing..
The prisoner was remanded.
Mr. William IVigley, of 11, Wood-street, Lambeth, a clerk
in Somerset House, was charged with violently assaulting
police-constables N 122 and N 428, and with tearing the
dress of the former officer; also on suspicion of damaging
the cell in which he was confined.

On Sunday night police-constable 122 N being on duty at
Higlibury, saw the prisonnr, who was under the influence of
liquor, strike a gentleman who was passing by, in the face ;
witness, at the instance of the gentleman (a respectable soli-
citor, who, however, did not appear), took the prisoner into
mato ly, but had no sooner done so than the prisoner turned
on him and struck him violently on the chest. He knocked
witness down, and kicked him, and before assistance could
arrive literally tore the uniform coat off his back. When 422
N arrived he assaulted him likewise, and in order to remove
the prisoner to the station-house it was found necessary to
fetter his limbs. Witness never saw any one more violent.
The prisoner said he was drunk, and did not know what he
was doing.
Police-sergeant Allen stated that the cell in which the
prisoner was placed was much broken and injured, he be-
lieved by the prisoner.
Mr. GREENWOOD said the prisoner's station in life very
much aggravated his moral guilt, and he felt it necessary to
impose such a punishment as would deter persons of what-
ever station from acting in so disgraceful a manner.
The prisoner said he had a wife and three children, that
he was sorry for what lie had done, and besought the magis-
trate to deal leniently with him. He had been twenty years
in Somerset House.

Mr. GREENWOOD said, that drunkenness was an aggrava-
tion of his guilt. He felt it his duty to commit the prisoner
to the House of Correction for seven days.
Mary Jones, servant to Mr. John Norton Knatchbull, of
Provender House, Newtown, Kent, son of Sir E. Knatchbull,
M.P., was charged with stealing a gold watch, the property
Martha of Rossiter.

The prisoner and prosecutrix were fellow-servants at
1, Great Coram-street, on the 22d of April, on which day the
watch was stolen. The prisoner left on the 4th of May, and
soon after went to Kent, and entered Mr. Knatchbull's ser-
vice. Meantime the prosecutrix heard she had been attempt-
ing to sell the watch, and in company with police-constable
40 E, went to Provender House on Saturday last, where the
prisoner was arrested, and the watch found. The prisoner
fainted when apprehended.
She acknowledged her guilt, and was committed for trial.

LAUNCH OF HER MAJESTY'S
STEAM-VESSEL PORCUPINE.

The interesting event of launching the Porcupine, the first
vessel built at the royal dockyard, Deptford, since its re-
establishment, took place yesterday afternoon, at half-past
two. There a large assemblage of spectators, and a great
number of ladies were launched in the vessel. She was named
with the usual ceremonies, by Miss Lucy Hill, the daughter
of the gallant Captain Superintendent of the dockyard, Sir
John Hill, and went off the stocks in easy and graceful style
amidst the prolonged cheering of the company. Imme-
diately after she was afloat she was warped from off the slip
wherein she was built into dock, where, from the excellent
accommodation provided, the ladies were enabled to walk
ashore. As the construction of the Porcupine is on a novel
and peculiar principle, the following, account may be interest-
ing to our naval readers. In appP,arance she is cleiyi and
handsome for a steam-vessel, with the unsightly paddle-1) 4;le*,
and presents no remarkable difference from other vesseb of her
1 0.._
class. The frame of the vessel is on a new pla introduced
by Mr. 0. Lang, the master shipivright 'of Wpo ich Dock
yard, similar to that on which he Is construet#l the Prince
Albert, 120; and the Porcupine is the fist'ever completed
on that principle of " dowling " and boltiat the timbers in
separate pieces instead of one solid WO'. Her planking
also is on a new plan—a modification of the diagonal plank-
ing of boats (brought forward some years since at Devon-
port by Mr. Johns, late foreman of that yard) by Mr. 0.
Lang, Jun., the acting master shipwright of Deptford Dock-
yard, under whose superintendence the Porcupine has been
built. Instead of the old plan of fore-and-aft planking, with
a single three-inch thickness, she has three one-inch planks,
two of which are diagonal, clossing each other at:right angles,
and the third or outside one is longitudinal. She has been
exactly six months building. The following are her princi-
pal
dimensions : ft. in.
Length between perpendiculars ..... l4l 0
Ditto of keel for tonnage 124 7i
Breadth, extreme •••
Ditto, for tonnage
Moulded 23 6
Depth in hold l3 6
Burden in tons, old measurement 382 40-94
Ditto ditto, new ditto 293
In launching she did not break a quarter of an inch, and
her light draft of water was afore 4ft. 1 lin., abaft sft. llin.
She was originally intended as an armed sloop, for service on
the coast of Africa; but subsequently it was ordered that
Captain Bullock (who very. much liked her appearance)
should have her as a surveying vessel for the Thames, in
which operation he is now engaged in the borrowed mail
steam-packet Myrtle, from the Dover station. She will be
coppered and sent to Woolwich, where it is expected she
will be fitted in about six weeks. She is to have the engines
which were taken out of the Black Eagle steam-yacht, of
130 horse power, with new tubular boilers.
The Spitfire, steam-vessel, is ordered to be laid down im-
mediately on the slip whence the Porcupine was launched,
and is to be 50 tons larger than the latter. The Spitfire and
the Terrible steam-frigate, the largest in the service, build-
ing on the adjoining slip, are both to be launched before the
commencement of the next financial year, April 1, 1845.
Deptford Dockyard has much improved In appearance
since its re-commission on the Ist of April last. We under-
stand, among other improvements, it is in contemplation to
build a new roof over the large slip whence the Queen Char-
lotte was launched, and a new mould loft, to replace the old
sheds with new ones, to repair the two slips, in such ilapi-
dated condition, and to convert the small dock into a slip.

LLOYD'S SHIPPING.
NOTICE TO MARINERS.
ENLARGEMENT OF THE HARBOUR OF GREENAAE,
JUTLAND, DENMARK.
By a letter received at Lloyd's from Oreenaae, it appears
that the harbour of this port, which hitherto has had only
six feet water in it, and which with certain sandbanks has
prevented large ships entering, will, by the consent of the
Government, be considerably improved by the formation of
a commodious basin, which will admit all vessels under a
draught of 10 feet, and give shelter to about 40 vessels.
HARBOURS OF REFUGE ON THE COAST.
It has been suggested to Lloyd's, that if the Spatwav, or
passage between the I3uxey and Gunfleet Sands was better
known, and such measures as are necessary for that purpose.
such as the laying down buoys, &c., and a leading mark
through and into the river Coine, the shipping interest would
be greatly benefited, as although that harbour is but little
known to seamen generally, it is capable of holding 500 sail.

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MEETING OF
.CONSERVATIVE MEMBERS.—A very
numerous meeting of the Conservative Members of the
House of Commons, was held in the drawing-room of the
Carlton Club this morning. Before twelve o'clock up-
wards of 200 Members had assembled, and many others
entered the room afterwards. We understand that at this
important meeting a resolution of entire confidence in
Sir Robert Peel's Government was proposed and carried
unanimously. The resolution was forwarded to the night
lion. Baronet in Whitehall-gardens, previous to the as-
sembling of the Cabinet Counoil.—Evening Paper.
THE, CITY OF LONDON WELLINGTON STATUE.—In
consequence of adverse winds, the pedestal for the eques-
trian statue of. the Duke of Wellington, to be erected in
front of the Royal Exchange, did not arrive until Sun-
day night from Scotland. Mr. M4Donald, the con-
tractor for the pedestal, waited upon Sir Peter Laurie
yesterday at the Mansion House, to inform him that the
statue would be fixed completely on this day, the anni-
versary of the battle of Waterloo.

DESTRUCTIVE FtnE.—A short time before five
o'clock yesterday morning, a fire of a most alarming charac-
ter broke out in the extensive range of premises belonging to
Messrs. Craven and Lucas, sugar refiners, Red Lion-street,
Whitechapel. The private watchman first perclived flames
issuing from that part of the building denominated the " pa-
tent house," in the immediate locality of the flue of the fur-
nace. An alarm was immediately raised, and information of
the circumstance transmitted, with all possible dispatch, to
the Jeffery -square, 1:;ellelose-square, and Watling-street
stations of the ;ire-engine establishment, engines from which
place° as well as from the West of England office, in the
aterloo-road, were quickly in attendance. Water having
been obtained from the mains of the East London water-
works, and the engines being brought into full play, a power-
ful stream was pumped upon the blazing materials, which
from their peculiarly ignitable character burned so furiously,
that by a quarter past five o'clock it was apprehended the
whole of the premises would be consumed. Beside the build-
ing on fire, a double house occupied by Messrs. Craven and
Lucas also caught fire, but happily the flames were arrested
before they obtained firm hold of it. The lower floors of the
patent house were most seriously damaged, the upper floors
destroyed, and the roof burned off. The stock in the upper
part of the building was reduced to ashes, and considerable
injury was done to the whole establishment. Without a
question, the " stop" effected by the united efforts of the
firemen in this case was never excelled; and consequently
property upon the contiguous premises and in the neighbour-
hood to an immense amount is preserved. Mr. Braidwood
reports the tire to have originated in the flue of the furnace,
the soot accumulated there having ignited, and thus set fire
to the building. The loss in the case of the manufactory
will fall upon the offices of the Sun and the Phcenix ; the
contents of the dwelling-house are covered by policies of in-
surance in the Alliance, Imperial, Phcenix, and Sun fire-
offices. -

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THE TEMPLE.—On Wednesday a special call to
the bar was made by the Honourable Society of the Middle
Temple, in the person of Mr. Titus Hibbert Ware, the eldest
son of Samuel Ware, of Edinburgh, Esq. The peculiar cha-
racteristic of a " special call" is in the fact of its being made
only under particular circumstances, and upon petition to the
bench, which petition is brought before and decided upon by
the benchers when in " parliament" assembled for the trans-
action of the affairs of their corporate body.
THE POLKA.—The police of Paris have received
strict orders to prohibit the Polka in all the public places
where it was danced, not corrected, but with additions, which
made it doubly reprehensible. " The Polka," says the Ga..
zeta de France, "has lived its day."