The Sun.
London, England, 1844-07-03 00:00:00

THE POST-OFFICE.

Attother Ministerial defeat ! 'When or where are these
disasters to end ? He must be something more than a
prophet that can answer the question. There seems nothing
for poor Sir Robert but disasters. Last night, knowing that
Mr. Duncombe's motion for an inquiry into the Post-office
espionage of the Home Secretary would be carried against
him, he actually prevailed on Sir James Graham to come
forward and make substantially the same motion himself.
Was ever humiliation equal to this? Pistol eating the leek
was nothing to it. Sir James Graham used to characterise
the Melbourne Administration as the shabby Ministry. The
epithet "shabby" may be applied with much propriety to
the Peel Ministry, and with a peculiar propriety to the
Home Secretary himself. "We thank thee Jew, for teaching
us that word." The country will share in our gratification that
an inquiry has at last been extorted from Ministers. Eng-
land owes to Mr. Duncombe a debt of gratitude which
it can never discharge, for the able and energetic and
triumphant manner in which he has conducted this case from
the first We shall now get at the real state of matters.
Startling, we doubt not, will be the disclosures which the
Committee will make—dark the doings which they will drag
into the light of day. It was generally said that it was a
part of the Post-office system of France to open letters. Mr.
Duncombe quoted the assertion to the contrary, which Guizot
made the other day in the Chamber of Deputies. Letters
are sacred in France. No functionary there plays the part
of a Post-office inquisitor. And is it come to this, that
despotic doings take place in the Post-office of England which
are unknown in the Post-office of France? Where is the
Englishman that does not blush for his country that such
things should be? The national indignation is aroused, and
it must not, and will not, subside until means are devised to
put an end for ever to such odious, unconstitutional, and dis-
graceful practices.—Advertiser.
THE FUNDS-(CLOSING PRICES.)

BRITISH
Bank Stock
3 per Cent. Red 9954
3 per Cent. Cons.
3% per Cent. Red 102%
New 3% perjCent. 102%
New 5 per Cent.
lAtng Annuities to expire_

FUNDS.
'lndian Stock.
'Ditto Bonds pm.
(Ditto Old Annuities

Ditto New Annuities ,
Ex. Bills, 1,0001. 134 d '73 pm.
Ditto 5001. ...... 'l3 pm.
Ditto Small '79 pin.
Bank Stock for Acct —
Consols for 0pg....
India Stock for Acct —
V FUNDS.
Austrian, 5 per Cent .... ..... Portuguese, 5 per Cent
Belgian, 5 per Cent — Ditto, New Ditto —
Brazilian ilonds — Prussian, 5 per Cent ... ......
Buenos Ayres, 6 per Cent — Russian 5 per Ccnt ..... ......
Chllizn,6 per Cent
,Ditto Metallic —
Colombian, 6 per Cent
Ditto, 1824 — ,Ditto, S per Cent 3 %
Cuba Bonds, 6 per Cent — !Ditto, Deferred.... ....... ......
Danish, 3 per Cent
Greek, 18-5, 5 per Cent — :Exchange .. ..... .... —f. —c.
Mexican, 5 per Cent
Ditto, ii per Cent., 1837 Ellutch, 2% per Cent.... GO%
Peruvian, 1825, 6 per Cent — ;Ditto. 5 per Cent .........100%

Jan hat) 'l2 7-16
Oct. 1852
Jan 1%0
FOREIG

SHARES.
Chester and Holyhead ( 5 paid): 4%
Eastern Counties (23 paid) ;...
Ditto Perpetual, 5 per Cent, 13s 4d. paid,No. 1
Ditto ditto, paid, No. 2
Great Western (75 paid)
Ditto Half Shares, 5.0 paid 79%
Lancaster and Carlisle, 5 paid 4%
London and Blackwall (16/. 13s. 4d.) 7%
London and Greenwich (IV. 15s. 4d. paid) —
Diito, Preference or Priv lege, .£;8 17s 2d paid 82%
London and Croydon (Trunk)
Ditto, Scrip, 10 paid . l7li
Manchester and Birmingham
Newcastle and Darlington Junction. 21 paid 40%
South Eastein and Dover (33 2s 4d paid)
Trcnt Valley, '2 paid sq
YarMouth and Norwich (IS paid)
York and North Midland (50 paid) lo34lYork and Scarborough Branch' (2X, paid)
Rouen and Havre, 10 paid . 19%

SHOWER OF SAND AND PEBBLES.—We have lately
read of showers of eels, frogs, and small stones having taken
place last week at Liverpool, and other places in Lancrshire
and Cheshire. If any person doubts the possibility of the
occurrence of the phenomenon, his scepticism may be re-
moved by reading the following fact, the truth of which can
be easily ascertained :—During the thunderstorm that raged
in the metropolis on Monday evening, and immediately after
a loud clap of thunder, mingled with the heavy rain that fell,
there came down a thick sheet of yellow sand and small
white pebbles. How far it extended the writer cannot say,
but it fell heavily in the yard and on the leaden roofs of the
back premises of the houses situated on the north side of
Cambridge-street, Hyde Park-square. An immense quan-
tity of this sand and small stones descended with great vio-
lence on the leaden roof of the back kitchen and wash-house
of No. 2, in the above street. The back premises of the
houses, Nos. 1,3, and 4, received a lighter sprinkling of the
sand shower. The writer's examination did not extend be-
yond those houses, and whether the shower took a more ex-
tensive range or not he cannotvouch from personal inspection.
YORK MINSTER.—This beautiful ecclesiastical
edifice has been closed for some time, and has undergone a
complete restoration. It will here- opened for Divine service
next Sunday.
FATAL STEAM-BOAT ACCIDENT. —On Sunday
evening last, shortly before six o'clock, as the Thunder, Rich-
mond steam-boat was making for Lambeth Pier, opposite
the Archbishop of Canterbury's Palace, it occasioned a
serious accident. From the statement of persons on board
the steamer, as well as of those who witnessed the occur-
rence from the _shore, it appears that at the moment the
steamer altered her course fur the pier, a small boat., con-
taining a waterman, named Tucker, belonging to Lambeth
Stairs, and another person, was observed proceeding in the
contrary direction. The tide was then running very fast,
and the people in the steamer called to those in the small
boat to pull on the near side ; instead of rowing with the
right-hand oars they pulled with the left hand, which caused
the head of the small boat to run under the bows of the
steamer. The captain, having previously given orders to
ease the vessel, had the same instantly stopped. Tucker,
instead of keeping his place, with his companion, got up,
which caused the boat to overturn, and they were both pre-
cipitated into the water. They were quickly out of sight,
but Tucker, after a few seconds, came to the surface of the
water, and was picked up by a waterman who put off on
seeing the accident. He was then alive, and without loss of
time was removed to his house, where he had medical at-
tendance, but owing to the serious injuries he had received
by being struck by some object, in all probability the paddles
of the Thunder, lie lingered until Monday forenoon, when he
expired. Although a diligent search was made for the other
unfortunate person, up to last evening (Tuesday) the body
had not been discovered, and it is supposed that he was drawn
underneath the steamer and then forced back with the tide.
Information of the occurrence has been forwarded to Mr.
Carter, the Coroner, who will hold an inquest on the body to-
morrow (Thursday) forenoon.
We are authorised to contradict a rumour which
has gained very general circulation in the fashionable world,
that after several Special Committees of the Reform Club re-
cently held, the result had been, the far-famed chef de cuisine,
M. Guyer, had suddenly quitted that establishment. This
gentleman continues at the Club with the confidence of the
members more increased, if possible, than diminished. We are
led to believe that an elaborate work upon his peculiar art is
now in the press. Mr. Bond has succeeded Mr. Walter Scott
as Sccrztary of the Reform Club.
ACCIDENT BY THE LIGHTNING.—On Monday even-
ing, during the storm, the lightning struck the clock of St.
Clement's Church, in the Strand, and sent the minute hand,
which was at ten minutes past six o'clock, back five minutes,
when it stopped; the flash passed down the steeple, and
crossed the street, where Mr. Cadman, the umbrella manu-
facturer, who was standing at his door, received a severe
shock on the legs, which nearly felled him to the ground.
FRAUDS IN NEWSPAPER PROPRIETARY AND
AGENTS.—A man named Francis Osborne, alias Henry Hors-
field, is in custody at Brighton, charged with having
r.oob-
tained from various newspaper offices and from newsPaM
agents, papers under false pretences. It is supposed that is
opera lietions,,haasthinistwheajh'ahbaiNt-eofbeseelnlienxgtaesnswivr;.ste
ITalipeS copies ob-
tainedLAMENTABLE IGNORANCB.—A singular circum-
stance, arising out of a man's ignorance of any difference b z-
tween the 011 and the New Testament occurred at a coro -
ner's inquest recently held by Mr. Higgs, where one of the
jurors summoned was of the Irebreyv persuasion. Jews are,
of course, always sworn upon the Bible, and the coroner or-
dered a man to go for a copy of the Old Testament. After
some delay the man returned, and it was stated, amid the
laughter of the Court, that lie had been looking for a literally
old Testament, namely, a copy of the Scriptures, published
some time ago, and one which, from its ragged and worn ap-
pearaLce, afforded proof that it was an old one.