The Sun.
London, England, 1842-12-29 00:00:00

IMPROVEMENTS IN PARIS.

Count de Rambuteau, the Prefect of the Seine,
presented on Saturday to the Chamber of ,Commerce
of Paris, an expose of his administration during the
year 1842. After enumerating the streets, boulevards,
and qua) s, that were either opened or improved in the
course of the year, he described the immense works
undertaken for ameliorating the navigation of the
Seine, and fir supplying Paris with water. Thirty
million francs were expended since 1832 in construct-
ing sewers, laying down pipes, and placing the
1,390 fountains that now distribute the water of the
Canal l'Oureq and of the Clignon, throughout
all the quarters of the capital. Independently of
these, the Artesian well of Grenelle has, ever since its
tubing, furnished 1,600,000 litres of perfectly limpid
water in 24 hours. The religious edifices had like •
wise been an object of special solicitude with the Ad-
ministration, and large sums had been applied to the
construction of ne A, churches, and to the repairing of
the old. The Municipal Council had granted two
additional temples to the Protestants, the one in Rue
Chatichai, and the other at Panthemont, and a new
synagogue was to he built for the Israelites. The
primary schools of Paris, which in 1834 were only 57
in number, -are now 206, and the pupils exceed 37,000.
The augmentation of the Municipal Guard had im-
posed fresh sacrifices on the city. The works executed
in the barrack ofthe Celestines alone had cost 1,800,000
francs, and the whole expense required for the accomo-
dation of that guard would, it was expected, amount
to 4,000,000 f. Two prisons were completed in 1842,
and another, for which the municipal authorities had
voted 4,000,000 f., was to be erected in the place of
La Force ; it is to contain 1,200 cells. Particular at-
tention had been likewise devoted to the hospitals,
and the number of beds was increased dnring the
year by 850. The situation of the savings'-banks
showed that habits of order and economy were every
year taking deeper root among the Parisian popula-
tion. The new pass-books delivered in 1842 amounted
to 35,688, and the investments to 39,189,612 f.,
which, as compared with the 'returns of 1841, exhi-
bited an increase of 3,583 pass-books, and 3,400,235 f.
The reimbursements in 1842, however, surpassed
those of 1841 by 4,586,000 f. The financial situation
of Paris had been as favourable as that of last year.
The proceeds of the octroi or tolls amounted, on the
20th of December, to 29,634,2161., or about 500,0001.
less than in 1841, which was attributed to the inter-
ruption, during several months, of the navigation of
the Seine from the shallowness of the water. There
had been a slight increase in the consumption of
butchers'-meat. The value of Parisian exports, which
amounted on the Ist of December, 1841, to
138,000,000 f., presented for the corresponding period
of 1842, a diminution of upwards of 23,000,000 f.
The silks figured in this diminution for a sum of
6,500,000 f., which the Prefect ascribes to the financial
crisis in the United States and the elevation of the tariff.

ON THE ORIGIN OF NEW YEAR'S GIFTS.—At
this time of the year, why should presents be made
upon the first day of January more than at other
times? The origin of this custom is attributed to the
reign of Romulus and Tatius, King of the Sabines,
who governed jointly in aome, in the seventh year
of the town. Here it is said that Tatius having
been presented on the first day of January with some
boughs, &c., out of the forest of the goddess Strania,
m token of good luck, began this custom and called
the present Strena: The Romans niade this a
holiday, and consecrated it to the honour of Janus,
offering sacrifices, &c., to him, and the people went
in throngs to mount Tarpeia, where Janus had an
altar, clothed with new clothes, and chose to begin
their respective employments or work on this day;
they wished one another good luck, and were careful
not to repeat anything ill natured or quarrelsome ;
the common presents, among the meaner sort, were
dates, figs, and honey, which were usually covered
with leaf gold, and those who were under the protec-
tion of great men used to add a piece of money. In
the reign of Augustus the populace, gentry, and se-
nators, used to send him new year's gifts, and if he
was not in town they carried them to the Capitol.
From the Romans this custom went to the Greeks,
and from the heathens to Christians, who very early
came into the practice of making presents to the
Magistrates. Some of the Fathers wrote very stre-
nuously against the principle, upon account of the
immoralities committed under the cover and protec-
tion of it ; but since the Governments of the several
nations in Europe are become Christians, the custom
is still retained as a token of friendship, love, and re-
spect.— CorrespOndent of the Cambridge Advertiser.
PROSPECTS-OF THE GOVERNMENT.--The Ministry
and their supporters will decidedly quarrel. Them
will be a vast number of dismembered parties, not
only contending with one another, but with the pre-
sumed and presuming heads of all the Ministry itself.
They are clearly destined to contention on the Corn-
laws, the income-tax; the tariff, and the sugar-duties.
They have gone about things in so unbusinesS-like a
manner, that while they wished to raise the revenue by
their accursed income-tax, they will pull it down by the
effect of their tariff, and other proposed changes of duties
both now and probably for some time to come. We
do not expect that the European effect of the tariff
will be much—the greatest hope we have is from
America, but the distance and the freight will be so
considerable, that we fear the country will not by any
means profit by it to the extent that was suppose d.—
Tyne Mercury.
THE CROYDON RAILWAY COMPANY.—A special
general meeting of the proprietors of the Croydon
Railway was held on Tuesday, at the London Tavern,
Bishopsgate• street, to consider the most desirable
course to he adopted under the present embarrassed
• state of the Company's affairs. W. A. Wilkinson,
Esq., the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the
Company, took the chair, and briefly stated the object
of the meeting. He then called upon the Secretary
of the Company to read the report of the Directors.
The report., after setting forth the circumstances con-
nected with the payment of a toll of 42d. per passenger .
by the Croydon Railway to the Greenwich Railway,
stated that the Directors, having exhausted all
means to endeavour to prevail on the Green-
wich Railway Company to modify their toll,
had come to the resolution that it would
tend to the advantage of the Company to
discontinue the carrying trade. The Divectors
concluded their report by expressing their belief that
the Croydon Railway could not be profitably con-
tinued with a toll of 4d. per passenger. The Chair-
man, in moving the adoption of the report, remarked
that the Company had for some time past been losing
upwards of 121 per week, and there could be no doubt
that it would be to the advantage of the Company to
discontinue the traffic. • The report was then carried.
A resolution to the effect that the meeting approved
of the proposition made by the Directors for relin-
quishing the carrying trade until some arrangement
with respect to the toll were made with the Green-
wich Company was then carried, but the Directors
were requested to delay putting the resolution into
effect until the 24th of March next, and a Committee
was appointed to negotiate with the Greenwich Com-
pany. A vote of thanks to the Chairman having been
carried, the meeting separated.
CHRISTIAN MISSIONS IN POLYNESIA.—The most
ardent patrons of missions to Polynesia will not main-
tain that in no instance has zeal overstepped the
bounds of prudence, or that pearls have not occa-
sionally been thrown before swine, who tried to turn
again and rend their benefactors. But to justify the
use of the means which have been employed, they
point with satisfaction, and even some degree of tri-
umph, to the effects which are already produced.
They can assert that, wherever Christianity has been
received, however imperfectly, the habits of the na-
tives are improved, their fierce tempers have been
mollified, and a respect for human life has succeeded
to that thirst for blood which formerly occasioned the
most deplorable catastrophes. In all the islands where
the missionaries have succeeded in establishing a set••
tlement, security is now -afforded to the mariner of
every nation, who either seeks refuge from misfor;
tune, the intercourse of trade, or the gratification of
a liberal curiosity. At other places, on the contrary,
where the mild spirit of the Gospel has not yet been
felt, scarcely a year passes in which vi e do not hear of
murderous quarrels between the inhabitants and those
by whom they are visited. At some of the Marquesas,
till very lately, a trading vessel scarcely dared to an-
chor. In the Friendly Islands, according to.the State-
ment of a recent author, while the chiefs were mani-
festing the strongest attachment to Captain Cook,
they planned the assassination of himself and all his
officers, and with this view invited them to an enter-
tainment by torch-light. Even on the shore of
Otaheite, when Bligh's vessel arrived, the people cut
the cables, in order that, being drifted on the beach,
she might fall into their hands as plunder. Some
years afterwards, the Society Islanders seized an
English brig, murdered the officers, killed or disabled the
crew, and took possession of her ; but since the lessons
of the Christian teachers have been given, every ship
that has touched there, or at any other in the adjacent
groups, has been as safe as in the Thames or the
Weser.—Edinburgh Cabinet Library, No. XXXIIL
Polynesia.
How TO BRING 'CP CHILDREN..--" Mamma," said a
little fellow, whose mother had forbid him drawing
horses and ships on the mahogany sideboard with a
sharp nail—" Mamma, this aint a nice house. At Sam
Rackett's we can cut the sofa, and pull out the hair,
and ride the shovel and tongs over the carpet, but here
we can't get any fun at all."
The following days of the week are set apart for
public worship in different nations :—Sunday, or the
Lord's Day, by the Christians ; Monday by the Gre-
cians ; Tuesday by the Persians ; Wednesday by the
Assyrians ; Thurday by the Egyptians ; Friday by
the Turks ; and Saturday by the Jews.
We understand that the goods of Patterson, in
Holywell-street, have been seized this week in execu-
tion for rent. Nothing has been heard of him since
the warrants were issued on Saturday for his appre-
hcnsiou.

THE LATE FIRE AT BRENT FORD
CORONER'S INQUEST.

O. Tuesday, at twels e o'clock, a jury composed of
fourteen respectable inhabitants of the town of Old
Brentford were empanelled in the p?rlour of the Barge
Aground public-house, before Mr. T. Wakley, M.P.,
Coroner for the Western Division of Middlesex, to
investigate the circumstances attending the death of
Mrs. Elizabeth Swan, aged 38 years, who died from
the injuries she received in a fire which occurred at
the residence of her husband on the afternoon of Sa-
turday last.
The jury having been sworn, and Mr. Burness ap-
pointed foreman, proceeded to view the body of the
deceased, which was lying at her residence; on their
return to the inquest-room the following witnesses
were examined :

Margaret Marshall deposed that her husband was
a bricklayer, employed at the distillery of Sir
F. Booth, Bart., in Old Brentford, She knew
the deceased, who was the wife of Henry Swan,
one of the foremen at the same distillery. The de-
ceased lived in a house adjoining the distillery, and
witness and her husband resided in the same house.
On the afternoon of Saturday last, the 24th instant,
witness was engaged in the lower part of the house,
when about five o'clock she heard the deceased call
her from the upper part in a hurried manner. She
immediately ran up stairs, and on reaching the land-
ing of the first floor she saw a basin on fire, on the
floor at the foot of a cupboard which was on the
landing. The deceased was endeavouring to put out
the flames, and witness tried to do the same with her
clothes, but her gown caught fire, and the deceased
assisted her in tearing it off and extinguishing it, in
which they were successful. Witness then ran down
stairs for water, leaving the deceased still striving to
subdue the flames, and on her return up stairs met
the deceased running down enveloped in flames. Wit-
ness then saw that the cupboard and her own (wit-
ness's) room were on fire, and she immediately raised
an alarm. When she next saw the deceased she was
alive, but frightfully burnt all over, and died about
ten o'clock the same night. The deceased went up
stairs for the purpose of getting a woman some spirits.
Some of the .Jury said they were present at the
fire, and they thought at the time some spirits must
have ignited, or the flames would not have been so
fierce. _ _

Lucy Brooker deposed that she was in the service
of Mrs. Malcolm, a market gardener in Drum-lane.
Saw deceased in flames. Did not know how the de-
ceased's clothes caught fire, but supposed it was in
trying to put out the fire.
The CORONER said, after the evidence that had been
adduced there could be no doubt that some strong
spirit had accidentally ignited, and occasioned the un-
fortunate disaster. _ _

The Jury concurring in opinion with the Coroner,
immediately returned a verdict of " Accidental death
from burning."

THE INCOME-TAX.

LETTER FROM THE SECRETARY OF
STAMPS AND TAXES TO THE SUR-

VEYORS.

Stamps and Taxes, London, Dec. 8, 1842.
SlR,—The Board having reason to apprehend that
some of the Surveyors have misunderstood the law
with reference to assessments under schedules A and
Bin the Property-tax Act, lam directed to inform
you, that the tax is payable on the annual value only
of lands and tenements, and not on the amount to
which such lands and tenements have been assessed to
the poor, and that such annual value is the rent by
the year at which the same are let at rack-rent, if the
amount of such rent shall have been fixed within the
period of seven years from the sth of April last; and
if not so let at rack-rent, then at the rack-rent at
which the same are worth to be let by the year ; and
that it is only in those cases where the annual value
cannot be otherwise ascertained (such as upon lands
and tenements in the occupation of the owners, or let
on beneficial leases), that the poor-rate is to be re-
sorted to, and then only for the purpose of making-
the assessment on such last-mentioned properties, in a
sum bearing a due proportion (as near as the same
can be computed) to the assessment on properties let
at a bona fide rack-rent ; as, for example :
A house or farm is let at rack-rent for 1001. a-year,
and is assessed to the poor on three-fourths of
the rent, or 751. per annum.
Assessment to the property tax must be on 1001.
a-year.
Another farm in the same parish is let
on a beneficial lease, or is in hand, and £. s. d.
is assessed to the poor at, a-year.... 500 0 0
Add one-third of the said assessment... 166 13 0
---
Assessment to the property tax must be
on a-year . . • • • • .. 666 13 0
As the public will have great-cause of complaint if
an assessment has been made upon a different prin-
ciple than herein set forth, I am to desire that you
will take especial care that in all such cases the same
may be rectified accordingly..
f take this opportunity of informing you that the
Board have received directions from the Lords of the
Treasury that in all cases where the overseers of the
poor have been called upon by the surveyors for a
copy of the last rate made for the relief of the poor, to
assist the surveyors in checking the assessments, and
have actually furnished the same, all reasonable ex-
penses for preparing such copy shall be defrayed by
this department ; and I am to desire, that if any such
copy shall have been furnished to you for the purpose
in question, you will forward the overseer's account
for making such copy to this office, with a view to
its being discharged.
I am, Sir, Your obedient servant,
CHARLES PRESSLY.

IRELAND.

AWFUL CATASTROPHE-LOSS OF UPWARDS OF THIRTY

LIVES.
DUBLIN, DEC. 26.—The particulars of the follow-
ing melancholy catastrophe are communicated by
Correspondents of the Evening Mail. An event some-
what similar, but by no means so lamentable in its
results, occurred in the Roman Catholic Chapel of
Francis-street, in this city, last Christmas two years :
" Galwav, Dec. 25.—A melancholy accident oc-
currei in this town this morning. At early mass, in
the parish church, there was an immense concourse of
people ; the gallery, as is usual on Christmas morn-
ings, was crowded to excess. One of the rails of the
staircase by the pressure of the multitude was broken,
and some persons in the vicinity having heard the
crackling noise, gave the alarm, and cried out that the
gallery was giving way. An indescribable but tre-
men,:lous rush was made by the dense mass to escape.
The catastrophe was awful ; 30 persons, up to the
time I am going to post, have been made the victims
of the rashness of the assemblage. The gallery did
not give way."
(FROM ANOTHER CORRESPONDENT.)
" I think it but right to tell you that a most tragical
occurrence took place here, at six o'clock this morn-
ing, at the parish chapel, similar to what occurred in
Dublin two years ago. Previous to the celebration of
mass the chapel was crowded to suffocation, and some
person gave the alarm that the gallery was giving way.
The consequence was that a tremendous rush was made
towards the stairs—numbers were thrown down the
stairs and trampled to death by others getting into the
street. At this moment (two o'clock) thirty-five per-
sons are dead, and it is supposed from ten to fifteen
more are also numbered among the dead. There are
a great many besides
Maimed ; they are all of the
lower class, such as
poor tradesmen, labourers, and
servants. There was no danger at all of the gallery
giving way ; it is very strongly built, and would bear
four times the weight that was on it at the time.
There must have been between 4,000 and 5,000 people
in it at the time. I never witnessed a more heart-
rending scene. I saw myself twenty-five dead bodies."
(FROM ANOTHER CORRESPONDENT.)
" I have just seen Dr. Gray, who informed me that
he has ascertained twenty-eight individuals to be dead,
but he thinks there are a great many more, carried to
different parts of the town by their relatives, that
have not yet come under his observation. The town
is in a frightfully agitated state. The sufferers are all
of the working classes. I went through the chapel
an hour ago, and found the gallery to be very strong,
so that, if the foolish people had but thought for an
instant, they might have been under no apprehension
whatever of its giving way, and the lives of the poor
creatures might have been spared. Two of our
servants were in the chapel at the time, but escaped—
they do not know how. This has been a scene very
like that which took place at Kirkcaldy, and which I
never can forget."
COMMAND OF THE LIMERICK DISTRICT.—The re-
port of the command of the Limerick district having
been offered for the acceptance of Major-General Lord
Downes is quite correct, hut it is not certain whether
the Noble and Gallant Officer will take upon himself
the harassing duties inseparable from such an ap-
pointment.

Some wag in Bangor (Me.) advertises, at great
length, that he is preparing an immense balloon, to
out of harm's way when
Aairilrlyer happens in April. He says he
carry
copnefloalpgera of that atcit city
has sent to Europe for an immense amount of silk,
and the car iF to be 450 feet long and 90 wide.
Seats in the balloon 200 dollars each. The books are
be
eonlsht
hand to
and a great body of
constablest(o prevent a rush.—New
murderer of the messenger of the Or-
leans Bank, is now quite recovered from the effects
of his late attempt at starvation. He takes his meals
as usual. Last Saturday, as his breakfast, consisting
of eggs and a cutlet, was placed before him, he ex-
claimed, " What, eat meat on a Saturday ! Not so
bad as that! Give me the eggs:, MODtely's scru-
ples call to mind the conduct of the Calabrian robbers,
who kill a man with one hand and make the sign of
the cross with the other. The trial will, it is sup-
' posed, ow on next month,t-9aAgnani.

THE SUN, LONDON, TIC URSDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 29, 1842.