The Sun.
London, England, 1829-04-30 00:00:00

nearly half a hundred weight, near the door at PoEt's-eor-
ner, which it is supposed had been taken from some part
of the Abbey.

Mr. Cottingham, the architect of Waterloo-road, being
engaged to erect a new College at the Oxford University,
had obtained leave from the authorities of the Cathedral,
for his men to make plaster casts, from the curious and
rare mouldings and cornices in one of the inner chapels,
part of King Henry's Chapel, in which his men had been
empinyeel some time, and also in taking models of different.
devices in Westminster-hall for the rime work.

The fire, it was stated, was first discoVered by Mr. Bel-
lamy, of the House of COMIIIOII3, who immediately gave in-
formation to Blackburn, a watchman, in St. Margaret's
church-yard, who gave the alarin. The damage., from the
evidence of the firemen, was of the:most :trifling nature;
but had it not been from the timely diScovery of the fire,
there being such an immense quantity of wood, in an old
and dry state, -the whole of this splendid edifice must have
been destroyed.
. . _

The whole of the persons examined were allowed to go
at large, and the investigation terminated at lialf-pitst seven
o'clock.

Yesterday, at four o'clock, the investigation into the
mysterious circumstances attending the fire at 'Westminster
Abbey was resumed at this office, before the Magistrates,
Messrs. WHITE, MARRIOTT, and GREGORIE, which was
also attended by several of the Prebendaries, and other
persons connected with the Cathedral.
The interruption we received from the officers yesterday
for admittance, we now star, were not directed by the
Magistrates, but was an assumed power by the officers
themselves.

At the commencement of the investigation, our Reporter
attempted to gain access, to be able to give an accurate
report of the proceedings before the Magistrates; but he
was again repulsed by Handley, who informed him, while
hfilding the door, that it was a private, investigation, at
which, by order of the Magistrates, no one could be pre-
sent. Having been deceived on a previous occasion as to
the truth of this statement, he gained access to the bench,
and asked Mr. White, who had just commenced examining
Mr. Phillips, the late Clerk of the Works of the Abbey,
whether he had any objection, or any other gentleman
present, that the proceedings might be public.
Mr. WHITE at first did not make any objection, and
consulted the gentlemen on the bench whether they had
eriy objection to our admittance, when we were informed
by one of the Prebendaries, after some consideration, that
they wished the evidence of the present witness to be pri-
vate, but any future proceedings the public were extremely
welcome to hear.

Mr. Phillips underwent a long examination, which
lasted a considerable time.

Suspicion at present attaches to no one individual, not-
withstanding all the air of mystery which is attempted to
be made of this intended conflagration of Westminster
Abbey. Front what we can learn in"the best informeA
quarters, no opinion is entertained that this ancient edifice
has been set on fire maliciously, for this reason—that in
that case something of a combustible nature would have
been found *by the persons who entered the Abbey so
quickly after the fire was discovered, and, in fact, the mis-
chief done.. Although alarming at first, it is ascertained
that twenty shillings would repair all the damage of the
fire. Some trifling scenery belonging to the college plays,
and a screen, the fire from which had communicated to
the floor, are the only articles destroyed. A large quan-
tity of lead found at ,the bottom of one of the staircases
leading to the northern transept, clearly indicates that the
object of the villains who entered the building was the
plunder of lead, and not the destruction of the Cathedral
by fire. It is generally. supposed that the burglars had
left a light in the northern transept, which set fire to the
scenery, which caused their alarm ; and we have no doubt
from what we have learned that the burglars, who must
have been well acquainted with the Abbey, would take
the. precaution of having a light with them. Several of
the persons, who on the alarm being given, in attempting
to gain the place where the fire existed, ran a narrow
escape of their lives, as the way to it was so intricate.
One circumstance is worth mentioning, which strongly
proves that the villains were in the Abbey at the time the
watchmen and others entered it ; for when Blackburn,
who first gave the alarm, was ascending a staircase in his
hurry, which was above the fire, a voice called to him,
". It is not here, Sir, you need not come iir," or words to
that effect, and he immediately descended, thinking the
voice came fi-om one of his party; but on after considera-
tion it was thought impossible. any one could have been
there, except some person who had feloniously entered the
Abbey, and in the confusion afterwards made his escape
through a email side door, which is seldom used, near
Poets' Corner.