The Sun.
London, England, 1842-12-24 00:00:00

SUM -.rARY OF :EWS

AND
Public 44 ptittolt.

" Who runs may read.'

POR.EIGN.

The King of the French had a long conference in
the afternoon of Tuesday with Count Mole and the
Duke Decazes. The Moniteur announces that M.
Gatier, captain of the Meleagre brig-of-war, and
commander of the French naval station at Barcelona,
has been raised to the rank of officer of the Legion of
Honour.
The French Ministerial papers persevere sedulously
in distorting facts, whch are daily exposed and contra-
dicted. Thus the 800 bombshells which were thrown
into Barcelona have dwindled to '2OO, and the eighty-
five persons shot, according to the Moniteur, are all
alive, except thirteen.
Lord Cowley had a long conference with the
Minister for Foreign Affairs on Wednesday.
The Courrier de la Gironde states that the will of
Mr. Johnston, who died lately at Floirac, in that de-
partment, where he had long resided, was opened on
the 17th inst., and found to contain amongst other
dispositions the following charitable legacies, viz.,
800,000 f. to the hospitals-800,000f. to the Bureau de
Charite, and 50,000 f. to the commune of Floirac.
A deputation of the Municipal Council of Barce-
lona had waited on the Regent to intercede in favour
of the place, when they met with a very gracious
reception. The Regent, in reply to a remark from
one of the body, who recommended clemency to be
adopted, said that he was only come to chastise the
guilty and protect the innocent.
According to the latest accounts from Constanti •
nople, strong remonstrances continued to be made by
the Russian Government against the manner in which
the Porte had thought proper to settle the Servian
affair, but without any apparent effect on the Ottoman
Government. The former, however, is not likely to
cease in her opposition to the measure. A negotia-
tion had been opened with regard to Persian affairs
which it was hoped would end favourably.
The Moscow Gazette states that, on the occasion of
the happy delivery of the Grand Duchess Marie-Alex-
androvna, the Cesarewitch Grand Duke gave a sum
of 10,000 roubles (1,6001.) to that city, to set free a
certain number of persons in prison for debt, and to
afford assistance to the needy.
A lump of native gold, of the enormous weight of
2 pouds and 71b. (about 801 b. English), was found
on the 7th instant in the sands of Miass, near the
mines of Zfatooust, in Russia, and placed in the Mu-
seum of the Institute of Mines at St. Petersburgh.
The Prussian State Gazette states that the news of
the insurrection of Barcelona had produced great
sensation at Berlin, and that there had been a con-
stant interchange of couriers, for some days past, be-
tween that city and the other States of the Continent.
PUBLIC OPINION.
The Chronicle says :—" We were not wrong in
supposing that the hostility to the Income-tax, which
was displayed on St. Thomas's-day, in the City, would
be manifested in a still stronger degree in other parts
of the kingdom. In another column we have given
an abriged account of the proceedings in the Town
Council of Edinburgh, on Tuesday last, at which a
series of resolutions, couched in the strongest lan-
guage, condemning the tax as inquisitorial, oppres-
sive, and unjust, were carried by a majority of 20 to
4. Sir Robert Peel will find the generation of 1843
as averse to the Income and Property-tax, as was the
generation of 1816. When it was proposed last ses-
sion the people were comparatively apathetic, because
they knew its oppressive and inquisitorial character
only as a matter of history ; but experience is the
best of all teaehers. Sir Robert will find the
Tories not more willing to submit to this
odious tax than Whigs and Reformers. It
is hardly necessary for us to observe that the
same unanimity on the part of all classes which com-
pelled a strong and powerful Government in 1816 to
withdraw the Bill for the continuance of the then
Property-tax, will be found effectual in compelling
the present Government to repeal the present tax If
the people only show that they are in earnest, they
cannot fail to secure an immediate compliance with
their request. The peace in India and China, like
that of 1815, has relieved the country from a heavy
charge. The resources of the country are suffiCiently
ample, under a proper system of taxation, to provide
for the expenses of the State, without exposing the
people to a continual repetition of the odious inquisi-
tion they are now suffering under. But there must
be unanimity. The other wards of the City must
follow the example set them in the wards of Plower,
Broad-street, and Langbourne, and the country must
follow the City. It is in agitation to call upon the
Lord Mayor to summon a Common Hall, that the
citizens may express their opinion of this most un-Eng-
lish tax, in clear and distinct language."
The Times, alluding to the late occurrences at
Barcelona, observes :—" The direct inference from
the disturbances which have taken place in Spain at
such short intervals since the termination of the civil
war is, that the Government of Queen Isabella and
the temporary authority of the Regent stand greatly
in need of all the support which they might receive,
and to which they are fully entitled, from the diplo-
matic influence of the whole of Europe. We are
perfectly aware that in Spain less than in any other
country can a Government rely with safety on foreign
assistance ; and nothing is more to be deprecated, as
M. Zea Bermudez emphatically declared in the dis-
patches written during his mission to Germany in
1839, than an erroneous impression that the recogni-
tion of the Queen's Government by the Northern
Powers would tend to modify or impair the liberties,
the constitution, or the institutions of Spain. On the
contrary, whatever strength the presence of a com-
plete diplomatic body in Madrid might give to the
Spanish Administration would be equally a guarantee
against counter-revolution and revolution. The
weight of the recognition of all Europe would render
the vessel of the State less subject to be beaten from
her !course by the storms of faction; and Spain
would renew her alliances with other Powers on the
basis of her own independent national policy."
Speaking of the City Wardmote elections, the
Herald says :—" St. Thomas's day passed away in the
City without promoting Anti-Corn-law agitation.
The citizens are practical people, sensitive in the ex-
treme about the quarters where the breeches-pockets
lie,' and they grumbled therefore at the Income-tax
much more than at the price of bread, which a sen-
sible person in one of the wards reminded municipal
wisdom could scarcely be lower than it now is.
Though here and there a local orator denounced '—
to use a favourite word of the leaguers—the Corn-law,
and though the Income-tax was almost universally
cursed, there was nowhere any hostility exhibited to
Sir Robert Peel and his colleagues, there was no
regret expressed over the fallen fortunes of the
Whigs, and there was no suggestion emitted that a
change of Ministry was desirable. In many of the ward-
mote complaints against the Income-tax we heartily join;
the manner in which returns of respectable tradesmen
are treated by the assessors, surveyors, and Somerset
House Commissioners is disgraceful, and Mr. Goul-
burn does certainly seem to neglect the superintend-
ence of the details of imposing and collecting this tax
to an extent that is calculated to injure Sir Robert
Peel's Cabinet in public estimation. The House of
Commons will ring with statements of grievances
arising out oF the Chancellor of the Exchequer's inat-
tention to this important subject ; public business will
be impeded in consequence of his apathy ; and the
Opposition will have a standing theme of reproach
against Ministers, in which every one possessing up-
wards of 1501. a year will sympathise more or less,
because Mr. Goulburn is careless or inefficient. Sir
R. Peel will be sorely badgered because Mr. Goul- ,
burn is negligent."
The Post thus alludes to the agrarian disturbances
in Ireland :—" We are sorry to observe, in certain
quarters, a disposition to throw the whole blame of
the crimes which disgrace the agricultural popu!ation
of the south of Ireland upon the owners of the land.
We regret this, because, like most other perversions
of the truth which strongly touch upon personal feel-
ings, this fire against the landlords has the effect of
exasperating them, without doing any good in any
conceivable manner. If the landlords be less atten-
tive
to their protective duties than they ought to be
they are not likely to be turned from the error
of their ways by exaggerated representations,
full of bitterness, and calculated to increase what-
ever ill-feeling may at present subsist between
the occupiers and the owners of Irish land. We
believe it to be quite true that in general, and
more especially in the southern parts of the kingdom,
the relations between landlord and tenant are not upon
the good footing that may be generally observed in
England and Scotland. We believe it to be quite
true that the Irish landlords are not generally so
careful of their estates, and of the condition of their
tenants, as in other parts of the United Kingdom.
But it is, we think, quite unfair to cast the blame of
this wholly upon the landlords. That a part of the
blame is fairly attributable to them we admit, but a
still greater share of the blame ought reasonably to
be laid upon the bad conduct of the tenantry them-
selves, and upon other persons who, directly or indi-
rectly, interfere between landlord and tenant, and al-
most uniformly in a hostile spirit towards the landlords."
nssoNEY—Ts43l)lll—C.2Bll=6ll4llll.
The petition of the sheep salesmen of Smithfield
market, praying for its enlargement, having been al-
most unanimously signed by them, was presented to
the Court of Common Council at its last meeting.
ECCLESIASTICAL.
A meeting was held at South Hackney on Thursday
for the purpose of making a Church-rate. It was op-
posed, but on its being stated by the churchwardens
that the rate would not be exacted from any one
whose conscientious scruples forbade the payment of
it, the motion was allowed to be carried.
LAW AND POLICE.
The Hon. Theobald Fitzwalter Butler residing at

A woodcock with four white legs was sh''tif,'
Friday, near Woodbury, in the parish of a 5,7,1
by Dr. Carlyon, which that gentleman has, prey
to the Royal Cornwall Institution.—SherbordeekurTe
SUMMER IN WINTER.—On Wednesday last' en,
shortest day, Mr. Ashforth gathered in his la „f
opposite the Swinton station, a beautifu 1 n 05,13-1,,,,.
flowers, consisting of wall-flowers, pinks, picot( wsgeFile.
lyanthuses, marigolds, violets, &c.—Doncaster .rlab
in-
THE PUBLIC HEALTIL—We have made so infthat
quiries of the vendors of meat pies, and we fili,`",,2 to
the public appetite rose last week 306-1022
999, being 0002.90009 and a fraction above th e 4,1 ige
age of the last fortnight. If we -are allowed to L:ry
from appetite our data for health, it gives 111
satisfactory amount of salubrity during the per „run
calculation extends over. The public taste ha,ah- is
strongly in favour of the kidney puddings, 117h:ice/I
to be attributed to the foolish prejudices eXIS in.
against tariff pork and mutton, which the
ble
terests have endeavoured to fan with conside
ra
energy.—Punch.
The following extraordinary circumstance is the
lated by the Gazette des Tribunaux : near
ear
summer General S. lived at a country house now
Fontainebleau, but returned to Paris with his fitrficc",
two months ago, leaving a part of the furniture tirlf an
quantity of wine in the cellar, under the charge %/is
old military servant. Two days ago some
lc idne y
per-.ng.
were sent down to bring up what was left. °ling:lw
swered to the calls for admittance. As
to the house it was all fastened up, and ant
could be obtained of the old soldier, a way in ~"0.11
forced. The first object seen on entering the 6al°l •
was the dead body of the servant, who had evident Y
shot himself in the head. Not an article of the pro-
perty left in his care is missing, and no conjecture a
to the cause of his self-murder can yet be formed. e
SUPERSTITION AND KNAVERY.--At Sand-pl.ac
near Looe, about a fortnight since, two GlP','•l6,
no account
women, styling themselves fortune-tellers, entered ell,
house of William Pearce, who was at the time unwell'
and labouring under the impression that be was he-
io*hed. After acorrespondence between them and4.lr„st.
Pearce, they offered to restore her husband to per',7,
health, by her raising all the money she nes'i
could, which amounted to 161.45. 6d. The fortune-
tellers in question went through the necessary
process for rendering the ill-wishes of the witch
of no avail, and then pretending to lock the
key in their own possession, decamped, 11'
the promise of returning at the appointed tithe
Shortly after their departure suspicion arose in
mind of a junior branch of the family, upon t
the box was broken open, when to their grea
the
astonishment and dismay, instead of finding
161. 4s. 6d., only 2id. was left. The fugitives were
immediately pursued by Kr. Whynhall, of Looe,
constable, and after a chase of eight miles he sue"
ceeded in coming up with the delinquents,
as well,
a man who had joined them. After a desr,erate
struggle with the man, who is an exceiedinglY
powerful fellow, he took from -his person 15,/. 3s•
The women amidst the conflict between Mr. Wrynium;
and the man made their escape. After the man had
undergone an examination before the Rev. R. Buller,
of Lanreath, by whom he was committed for trial,ll
subsequently effected his escape from custody, and
has never since been heard of. The money still- re,;
mains in the hands of Mr. Wh 41.1 Porttmou"'
Jett al
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