The Sun.
London, England, 1842-11-05 00:00:00

MEETING--OF THE ANTI-CORN-
LAW LEAGUE.
MA y CHESTER, FRIDAY MORNING.—A crowded
meeting of the Antii-Corn-law League took place last
evening at the Pictnre Gallery Market-street, John
Bright, Esq., of Rochdale, and Gallery,
Rev. Mr. Bonner,
of Bilston, Staffordshire, having been invited to ads
dress the meeting. In addition to these gentlemen,
Richard Cobden, Esq., M.P., W. Rawson, Esq., Al-
derman Brooks, Alderman Walker, R. R. Moore,
Esq., barrister, and Henry Rawsori,lEsq., were pre-
sent. George Wilson, Esq., Chairman of the Coun-
cil, presided.
In opening the proceedings, the CHAIRMAN said,
since the last meeting they had progressed somewhat
in making the arrangements for collecting the 50,0001.
In Manchester • a local committee had been formed,
and they,were most anxious to add the names of any
one who would be willing to lend his assistance and
take cards. These cards had been arranged to meet
the circumstances of every class of people. They
had them from sixpenny subscriptions up to 100/.,,
or even, thousands—up to any amount persons might
be willing to give. Cards had already been issued
which, when filled up, would contain subscriptions to
the amount of 7601.; and the persons taking them had
the fullest confidence of being able tb return them fil-
led up in very short time. In addition to the committee
he had men tioned,there was another committee (the local
committee) sitting every day, the object of which
was to form local committees in every town in the
kingdom to co-operate with them. He was happy to
siaytheladies
meet
dformed acommitteeeN.-Tencug at five
committee.—(Applause.)
They would every Tuesday
o'clock, and they were going most zealously to work.
They would also in,sorne measure form branch com-
mittees in other tovvus ; and he trusted that he would
soon be able to state that these were all in active co-
operation throughout the kingdom.—(Hear, hear.)
The working men were invited to lend their humble
aid, and as an instance of what even they could effect
in this way, he might mention that during • last year
a committee of working men was formed on a small
scale to obtain weekly subscriptions among working
Men, and in about ten weeks they raised no less a
sum than 3001.—(Applause.) The cd-operation of
the working men, therefore, was looked to as one very
material means of assisting in this great scheme, the
success of which gave stronger tokens of success at
every approach towards the carrying into practical
effect their plans for working it out.— (Applause.)
TWOheirman then annonneedsthe
s
•Of liil§ton, but before he rose, "+s
R. COBDEN, Esq., M.P., said—l am very sorry to
interpose one moment with a matter of business, but I
have a contribution to present to the League ; and as
I do not know the party from whom it comes, I must
explain the circumstances to you. An elderly gen 4
tleman called upon me on Tuesday, having the ap-
pearance of a country gentleman • and he put this
paper into my hand, accompanied by a Bank note
" A landowner, possessed of several farms, subscribes
1001. to the Anti-Dorn-law League Fund.—(Loud
applause.) It is a. money question, and the money
speaks for itself. The subscription shall be repeated,
it' requisite."—(Loud cheering.) I never saw the
gentleman before—probably shall never see him again.
He did not wait for any conversation. I tried to have
a little talk with him, as to his views on the Corn-
laws, as affecting his interests ; but I could get no-
thing from the old gentleman but this simple remark
—" It is a question of money—it is a question of
money—and the money speaks for itself."—(Loud
applause.) In handing this money over to our
worthy treasurer I beg leave to move a vote of thanks
to
Mr.. u\n\lrs.nou Awso
ourunknown
benefactor.
—ltld
faet\°'lrd—i(Applause.)
the meeting think it
would be well to frame and glaze this note ?
Mr. COBDEN—No, no. suggest a much better
use for the money, and I hope our venerable friend
will be satisfied that. it has been applied to a much
better purpose. We will spend it in canvassing 2,000
electors of this kingdom; they shall be effectually
canvassed, and supplied with all the information that
is at our disposal, with this 1001.— (Applause.) I
have lately received a letter from Mr. Wallace, the
Member for Greenock, which I will read to you. He
dates from Kelly, Oct. 25, 184.2, and says,—
"My dear Sir—There. cannot be a doubt in the
minds of those who look dispassionately into the state
of the working and industrious classes generally, of
the necessity—l use the word advisedly—the neces-
sity of the state of the nation being, without loss of
time, discussed by the representatives of the people in
Parliament. Ministers cannot resist this, any more
than those they removed from office ; for the causes
of our present condition are all easily traceable
to both as well as to either. But the state of
the country, and the condition of the people all I
•
over it, 'call with a voice of lamentation, which
should neither be scorned nor unattended to, for
an immediate and searching inoSsiry, by the in-
quest of the nation, into the causes of the degraded
position of our country. This was my opinion when I
moved my six resolutions last My, respecting the
then undeniable existing distress. the distress of the
people was then made a party question, and its con-
cealment was part and portion of party tactics. I
firmly believe the same game is still going on all over
the country, and that the actual condition of the
starving Millions is kept back 'from tbc Government
by their adherents in the provinces, just because they
have got a hint that to state unpleasant truths is by no
g y,
means to please at present. I know of no other
organised body which at this time would be so much
attended to throu hout the county on the all-impor-
tant question of Parliament being assembled, as the
League. In the usual routine of parliamentary
tactics, four months must be added to the two which
have elapsed before Parliament can take any steps for
the relief of the country ; for should we really meet
the day after pheasant shooting closes (and no Minis-
ter can command his thick-and-thin supporters'
sooner), nothing effectual could be done before the
20th of February. You cannot fail to remember
we were told, day after day, from the. Ministerial
benches, that it was too late in the session, and
that there was not time for such important mea-
sures. Well, let us begin in time, I say ; let us
begin now, and work until we have done our work
properly and completely. At all events, I earnestly
hope to find that the Anti-Corn-law League has done
its duty, not only by urging the immediate meeting
of Parliament, but by using every means at its com-
mand to keep the actual state of the working classes,
and those depending on them, before the public."—
(Applause.) I thought it only due to Mr. Wallace,
one who is so well known for his patriotic and honest
Conduct, both in and out of Parliament, that this com-
munication should be • thus
publicly made known to
the members of the League. I may add that the
Council of the. League, to whom I referred it, do not
think it advisable to recommend any agitation for the
purpose of making any demonstration to Government
of the necessity of calling Parliament together. It has
been determined that the course we are now pursuing
is that which will most conduce to the interest of the
great mass of the people, whose sufferings, along with
Mr. Wallace, I am sure that we all earnestly deplore.
—(Hear, hear.) It appears that there is no inten-
tion of calling Parliament together earlier than the
usual period. The responsibility of this must rest
wholly upon the Government ; I should say rather
emphatically, it rests wholly with Sir Robert Peel.—
'(llear, bear.) Nov, during the last session of Par-
liament, very great allowance was made, very great
forbearance was exercised towards the Premier, on ac-
count of the difficulties
,of his new position ; and I
must say I think- he traded through that session very
much indeed upon the bankrupt political reputation
of his predecessors, the former Ministers. (Loud
applause.) Great forbearance was exhibited towards
Sir Robert Peel by the Opposition, because it was
felt by the independent part of the Opposition that
any very strong attacks made. upon him would be
misconstrued by the country, and thought to be rather
unfair, and to be playing into the hands of the Whigs,
who had preceded him.—(Hear, hepr.) Now, it is
quite clear Sir Robert Peel can be entitled to no such
forbearance in the approaching session. He is now
responsible, at all events, for not 15..4v,;, the present
state of the country diligently inquired into instantly
by the Parliament. He has it in his power to call
6
the Parliament together this week, if he pleases ; and
as he fails to do so, Sir Robert Peel will be charge-
able when Parliament meets again:in February, with
the protracted sufferings of the, people during the
winter.—(Applause.) He voluntarily charges him-
self with all this responsibility. What his object may
be I cannot pretend to divine. I believe him to have
been without a plan from the binning of his go-
vernment.—(Loud applause.) eis eminently a
Minister who lives upon expedients, who lives from
hand to mouth, who trusts to the chapter of acci-
dents—(Cheers)—and probably he expects that there
may be something in the doctrine of chances that may
February.—(Applause.)
bheanveefiptruhpihmesibeedfornext
tue
him before, and however disre-
garded my prophecies may have been, they have not
been less true ; and I venture to predict now, that he is
only putting off the day of reckoning in order to
augment very much indeed his liabilities. I must
confess the experience we have had of Sir Robert Peel,
is calculated to diminish the general belief in his su-
pperurhioarhltyaleu As a speaker, he is
nntrsrvalcliedeainr' thbeearilouse of Commons ; he
would have been unrivalled in a nisi prius court. We
have seen lately that 'a very good pleader may make
a very bad Judge—(Applause)—and I am not sure
athat an excellent Parlias
very
y indifferent Prime
ituheaut
ta wey suhraaltlunr o tma live
make
e
Minister.—(Applause.) I never gave the present
Cabinet credit for having much heart.—(Hear, bear.)
Those who have watched the tactics of the party may
have seen a good deal of profession of sympathy for
the great body of the people, in order to cover their
own serf-seeltings ; but, for my part, I have never
seen anything like a real regard for the interests of
the country, such as would induce the Ministers to
make a sacrifice, or to „risk anything for the benefit of
his
the people. But' bad, up to t tune, believed that

there had been talent in the Cabinet ; I had, until this
time, believed Sir Robert Peel to be a man of emi-
minent ability; but, looking at the course of his po-
licy at the present moment, when the country is in
its present state, I must confess I am brought very
much to doubt whether we have not both a heartless
and a headless Cabinet.—(Loud cheers.)
The Rev. W. H. BONNER then presented himself,
and vas loudly cheered. He said—Xr. Chairman,
Ladies, and Gentlemen,--I have long observed a
growing decline in the condition of my poor Christian
brethren. lam used likewise to hear tradesmen tell
of unparalleled difficulties arising from decreasing
custom, and manufacturers and merchants lament a
perpetually sinking 'and embarrassed market, . and
their consequent inability to keep up their usual
amounts of employment and remuneration.—(Hear.)
In all the dwellings of my toiling neighbours I be-
hold the reign of destitution—(Hear)—in all their
forms I see the portraiture of woe ; and on every side
I hear the Sighs of sadness, and the murmurings of
discontent. This is the case in the district in which I
reside ; and not only so, but throughout the length
and breadth of the land, I find it is the same. I have
heard the sons and ornaments of Scotland, Wales, and
Ireland, tell the same pain-giving, tale as do the af-
flicted children of England.—(Hear, hear.) Then
whence our-distress ? Is there, on ;he part of our
foreign customers, any indisposition to deal with us ?
Their repehted and straight-thrward messages to our
Government assure me in the negative.—(Bear, hear.)
They would, if they could, deal with us on equitable
terms :'to; an indefinite extent, and so set all hands
to work, and so give us the advantage of our
abuhdance and strength.—(Hear, bear.) What hin-
ders _them ? The refit-law of the lords of our soil.

—(Applause.) : A body of men forming a nine-
hundredth part of our population has effected this
mischief. By this law, the master-piece of class le-
gislation, they have locked against us the storehouses
of our allies, hand-bound capitalists, beggared our ar-

tisans, and served themselves.—(Applause). As. a
lover of my kind, I am a friend to popular education.
I believe ' the Corn-laws greatly assist to perpetuate
ignorance.--(Hear, hear). The inadequate wages
fixed by a fettered commerce disable a father by his
own industry to support his family. His wife must
therefore work, and thus her offspring are deprived
of her tender' care and instructions.—(Hear, hear).
The toil of bath is insufficient; on this account the
little ones cannot be sent to school beyond a very
limited period, Their infai4 days must be spent in a
mill or workshopond their feeble toil must contribute
its mite to • the still scanty pittance. Excessive or
prolonged labour indisposes to the habit of study,
stunts the mental energies, and produces depravity of
manners.,--''No wonder then that masses of our people,
with their haggard faces and ragged garbs have ignorant
and embittered minds, and that some of them are sus-
ceptible of the infatuation inspired by artful dema-
gogues.—(Hear.) Yet the authors of their debase-
ment cruelly reproach them with unfitness to be in-
trusted with the civil rights of man. Humanity, with
tearful eyes, points to starving thousands, and be-
seeches them to unite; reason, with truthful argu-
ment, persuades them to unite; justice, with sterner
tongue, commands them to unite ; and religion, hold-
ing forth the Bible, and, pointing towards Heaven,
seconds the proposition in the name of the God of
righteousness, and waits to rejoice in their success.
On the Rev. Gentleman resuming his seat, the com-
pany rose, and cheered for a considerable time.
T.BRIGHT, Esq., of Rochdale, after a few prelimin-
ary observations, said he regretted that the plan which
had been agreed upon for conducting these meetings
had not been followed out that night by havitig a
a Member of Parliament to address them.—(Cries of
" Mr. Cobden.") He regarded Mr. Cobden as their
own, as one of themselves.—(Applause.) He regretted
it, because the presence of Members of Parliament
gave Some little additional interest to their meetings ;
but he regretted it the snore, because he thought
that was an atmosphere which it would be exceedingly
serviceable for a great many Members of the House
of Commons to pass through before they went up to
Parliament.—(Applause.) From what little observa-
tion he had been able to make during his visits to
London on the question of the Corn-laws, there was
a good deal in that House to make a man less honest
after he entered it than before he went there.—(Ap-
plause and laughter.) The atmosphere of that room,
on the contrary, was of a peculiarly bracing cha-
racter ; and he was quite certain that if all the Mem-
bers of Parliament could be made to pass through that
room before the commencement of the next session,
a very different tone of feeling would be manifested
in Parliament to what was displayed last session,.
A fortnight ago they had the pleasure of the company
of the Member for Ashton ; he trusted he had received
no injury by coming there.—(Applause.) Last week
theS, had the Member for Bury, whose speech must
have been gratifying to all who had heard or read it,
except the monopolists themselves.—(Applause.) Mr.
Walker had alluded to the representation of this
county, and said that if the repeal of the Corn-laws
depended on the Members sent from Lancashire, it
could not be carried. It appeared there were as many
Me mberifor Lancashire who voted wrong as voted right;
therefore, as far as the number of votes went, Lanca-
shire was unrepresented in the senate of the country.
But he trusted the time was coming when there would
`be a marvellous change. He thought they Might
prognosticate, from circumstances passing before them, *'
that at some coming general election they should be
able to make a clear sweep of every monopolist from
the county.—(Applause.) In Manchester and Sal-
ford the registration and the constituencies were in
such a condition that no monopolist would dare to
show his face at any future election.—(Applause.)
No monopolist, as a monopolist, had dared to do it at
the last election : they had come under the character
of free-traders, but were found out, and were not
trusted. 'At the next election, the men of Manchester
and Salford, having no contests in their own towns,
would have more time to devote to the county elec-
tions. The same would be the case in Rochdale and
some other boroughs. Warrington was now repre-
sented by a monopolist ; at the next election, there
was every reason to believe that he would be relieved
from his duties.—(Applause.) At Wigan there was
a divided interest, one of the monopolists having been
unseated on petition ; at the next election there was
every probability that that borough would return two
free-traders. At Blackburn there were at present
two monopolists ; one had slipred in by a majority
of One, the other had very few more ; but
they had it on the authority of a monopolist
newspaper in that town, that " the vile Anti-Corn-law
League party had obtained a decided majority of
votes" at the last registration ; therefore, those two
monopolists must give place to better men at the next
election.—(Applause.) Clitheroe was also represented
by a monopolist, who had been seated on petition ;
but from information he had obtained, he had not the
smallest doubt that that gentleman would be relieved
from future service at the next election.—(Applause.)
There remained only Lancaster and Liverpool. Lan-
caster returned two monopolists, one by a very small
majority ; he would undoubtedly be relieved at the
next election, and it rested with the free traders of
that town whether both would not, for they had power
enough, if they would work hard, to turn both out.—
(Applause.) As to poor Liverpool he was almost at
a loss what to say ; but this might be said, that if the I
Reform Bill constituency alone had existed in Liver-
pool, no monopoly Member would have been returned
since the passing of the Reform Bill. At the last
election a decided majority of the ten-pounders
were in favour of the free trade candidates; and
had it not been for the venal freemen who
were base enough to sell their votes, and
certain men on 'Change, who were a thou-
sand times more base, inasmuch as they bought
them, free trade representatives would have been
returned for that borough. What a strange thought
that Liverpool should return monopolists ! What did
it consist of? Shipowners, brokers, and carriers.
Shipowners were properly carriers—not between this
town and Liverpool, but from one 'country and one
eontinent to another; and yet :they were ignorant
enough to suppose that, with a great extension of
trade, and with a consequent greater quantity of pro-
duce being brought from America and all other
countries, their trade as carriers would be greatly in-
jured; in fact, they declared it would be ruined. If
the different railway companies in the kingdom were
to petition Parliament to pass a law to compel people
to stay at home, that would be just about as wise a
thing as was done by the Liverpool shipowners, who
abetted and petitioned in favour of a law, and sent to
Parliament men to support a law,' which declared that
there should be little trade, and a much smaller quan-
tity of goods passing over the ocean than would other-
wise be the case. But the merchants of Liverpool had
been so dreadfully injured by the last three or four
years' bad trade, that they were coming somewhat to
their senses ; they had got as far as a moderate fixed
duty, which was somewhere between ss. and 155.,
according to a man's own notions. But they had no
notion of a change in the Corn-laws for any other
object than to make the price a little steadier, in order
that they might safely speculate on the price at which
they could sell foreign corn, and the rate of duty at
which it could be introduced. If these men wished
to maintain the character which English merchants
once held all over the world, they must look around
them, and ask themselves what was to become of
millions of their fellow-countrymen who were not so
rich as them, and to whom the adifference of a few
shillings in the price of a sack of flour was a matter
of the utmost consequence.—(Applause.) • There
were other objects to be gained by the repeal of the
Corn-laws besides the creating of a steady trade. If
the trade were steady, as it would be under a
fixed duty, that was no reason why they should hold
themselves satisfied and content, while the whole
people were starving, because the Liverpool mer-
chants would carry on their trade as steadily as
possible.—(Hear, hear.) As for the brokers on
the Livtrpool Exchange, he sometimes thought they
would not see a single fibre a breadth beyond the staple
of the cotton . about which they were concerned,—

(Applause.) They seemed to crawl and cringe_ to
some great men whom they knew had cargoes to sell;
they hardly knew their souls were their own ; they
seemed never to read or reflect; and in the Liverpool
Exchange, for one newspaper in favour of free trade,
there were ten in favour of monopoly.—(Applause.)
Such was the blindness, the benightedness of the
leading interests in that town. Notwithstanding this,
if things went on as they were going on, the strongest
prejudices would break down, and the misled people
would be brought to their senses through the potent
influence of empty pockets. In conclusion, he moved
the thanks of the meeting to Mr. Bonner.
Mr. Alderman BROOKS seconded the motion, which
was agreed to, and briefly acknowledged by Mr.
Bonner; and the proceedings then terminated.

GREAT FIRE AT MANCHESTER.
EIGHT PERSONS KILLED.
FRIDAY MORNING, ELEVEN O'CLOCI.—A shocking
fire broke out here last night at the extensive cotton
mills of Messrs. Pooley, Mill-street, Ancoats, about
two hours before the time at which the place usually
closes for the night. The fire originated near the
centre of the building called the New Mill, which is
the only portion of the premises not fireproof, and
such was the fearful rapidity with which the flames
spread, that a portion of the hands had not time to
escape. Hence, in addition to the destruction of pro-
perty which followed the calamity, it has been at-
tended with a fearful loss of life.
It may be necessary to mention that the fire broke
out near the grand staircase, by which access was
obtained to the different rooms, and this will explain
the reason why the escape of some of the work-
people was cut off. The fire sneedily illuminated
the whole town, and the town fire-engines were im-
mediately at work, but a great portion of the new
mill was soon a mass of ruins, and the flames had
spread along the roof of what is called the fire-proof
mill, before its progress was arrested. Some of the
hands whose escape was cut off were seen clinging to
the windows during the progress of the fire, and some
attempts were made at rescue, but the risk was too
great, and they were buried in the ruins.
Exaggerated rumours are abroad as to the loss of
life, and it is said that 25 persons are missing. At
the time we write eight dead bodies have been re-
moved from the ruins, and one more (that of a female)
is known still to be amongst the fallen wreck of ma-
r terials. Some boys' employed as scavengers in the
mill, are still Missing, but it is not known whether
.thev are amongst the sufferers.
'the damage is rumoured to exceed 10,0001., but
nothing like an accurate estimate can yet have been
formed of the real loss.

ANOTHER. ACCOUNT.
It falls to our lot to record the particulars of a fire
which has beeti attended with consequences of a more
lamentable nature than have resulted from any similar
occurrence for a considerable time past. We regret
to say that the event of which we now speak is de-
plorable, not so much on account of the extent of the
damage to property, as' on a,ccourt of the melancholy
sacrifice of human life, no, less than six young persons
having been killed by scorching, suffocation, and in
other ways. The fire took place on Thursday: even-
ing, at the extensive premises of Mr. Chas. Pooley,
cotton-spinner, in Bradford-street, Ancoats, and broke
out about six o'clock, while the whole of the hands
were at work. The buildings form two sides of a
parallelogram, and are situate between Bradford-
street and the Rochdale Canal.
The names of the sufferers are—William Ridgway,
aged 18 years ; John Snape, aged 15 years ; Mary
McKenzie, aged 16 years ; Mary M`Corville, aged 14
years; Robert Garvin, aged 14 years ; and James
M‘Munn, aged 19 years.
The building next the Rochdale Canal is a con-
tinuous one; it is twenty-two windows in length, and
the building running towards Bradford-street is pro-
bably about half that length. Information of the fire
was received by Mr. Rose, at the police-yard, at a
quarter before seven o'clock. The Niagara engine
was immediately got ready, and Mr. Rose and his son,
with a company of firemen, proceeded with it to the
spot, but on their arrival, so rapid had been the pro-
gress of the flames, they found that part of the pre-
mises called No. 3 Mill, was completely gutted, and
that the fire had communicated to the warehouse,
which gave every appearance of being speedily in a
general blaze. No time was lost in getting the
engine into play, a plentiful supply of water being i
obtained from two plugs in Bradford-street. The
pipe from the Niagara was conveyed over the wall
into the yard, and from thence up the staircase, with
a view of preventing the fire communicating with the
rooms of the fire-proof building, which was full of
carding and other valuable machinery. A branch
from the Vesta engine, which shortly followed the
Niagara, and which was . supplied with water from
plugs at the top of Bradford-street and Beswick-
street, was also conveyed up the staircase, and the
quantity of water thrown from the 'two engines
had such an effect in diminishing the heat, that the
firemen were enabled to ascend gradually from one
landing to another until they arrived at the sixth
story. Here they discovered the dead body of a
boy lying in the doorway of the rooms, and it
was evident that the poor fellow had been scorched
to death in attempting to escape by the staircase.
he -body, `cam immediately conveyed into_ the yard,
and from thence to the Bridge Inn, a shore' dis-
tance from the scene of the melancholy catastrophe.
Soon afterwards the bodies of four more young
persons were found in the same room. One gave
slight signs of life, and was taken by the police, under
the direction of Mr. Superintendent Sawley, to the
Ardwick and Ancoats Dispensary ; but by the time
they arrived there life was extinct. The body was
then conveyed to the Navigation Inn. Previous to
this a boy had been killed in attempting to escape
from the fourth story of the fire-proof mill, by letting
himself down by a ladder.
The whole of the warehouse adjoining the mill and
one portion of the mill were destroyed. The fire was
got under about one o'clock yesterday morning.
The stock and building are insured for a sum which
it is supposed will more than cover the loss.
An inquest was held on the bodies before James
Chapman, Esq., the borough Coroner, and a highly
respectable Jury, at the Bridge Inn public-house,
corner of Houldsworth-street and Beswick-street,
Bradford-road, but had not terminated at half-past
seven o'clock.

THE NEW RIVER lIEAD.—The process of cleansing
the reservoir of the New River Company in Clare-
mont-square, Pentonville, proceeds but slowly, and
numberless are the complaints of the nuisance created
thereby to the entire neighbourhood. The men are
stated to be frequently standing idle for want of a suf-
ficient supply of carts to carry away the mud which
it has been found necessary to remove. The nuisance
is intolerable ; the streets and avenues are complained
of as being in a most filthy and unwholesome condi-
tion ; and surely the work which is productive of so
much unpleasant inconvenience ought to be accom-
plished by the parties engaged in it with the greatest
possible expedition and dispatch. It is to be hoped
the authorities connected with the Companyt will look
to this and provide means for relieving respect-
able residents in the vicinity from the great evils to
which a protraction of the task of cleansing the reser-
voir exposes them.
• THE LATE MR. SERGEANT SPANKIE.—The fol-
lowing anecdote of this late eminent and gifted indi-
vidual may be relied on as authentic :—The public
has already been made acquainted with the fact, that
Mr. Sergeant Spankie, during the time he was keep-
ing his terms, with a view to be called to the bar, was:
employed as a Parliamentary reporter. Young
Spankie (for such he then was) was on duty in the
gallery of the House of Commons at an early hour of
the morning, after a protracted and important debate,
when a division of the House took place, the result of
which was looked for with considerable anxiety
throughout the country. The avenues to the House
were crowded with strangers, and egress down the
narrow staircase by which strangers reached the gal-
lery in the old House of Commons was next to an im-
possibility. The hour of the publication of the jour-
nal to which he was attached was fast approaching,
and Spankie, knowing the importance to his proprie-
tors that the conclusion of the debate and the division
should be early before the public, had recourse to a
feat which surprised and astonished those who wit-
nessed it. lie climbed over the balustrade of the
stairs which communicated fromthe old smoking-room
with the strangers' gallery, and, suspending himself
by his hands therefrom, dropped into the Members'
lobby below (a height of from sixteen to eighteen feet)
amidst a crowd of senators. So suddenly was the
affair accomplished, and so fleet of foot was the per-
former, that he escaped caption by any of the myr-
midons of the Sergeant-at-Arms, and reached the
office in safety and triumph. When Mr. Sergeant
Spankie sat in Parliament for Fipsbury, the occur-
' rence was frequently related by the late Mr. Wright,
an old and well-known messenger of the House, who
was an eye-witness of the transaction, and who gene-
rally pointed out the hero to strangers, whom curiosity
nightly brought to St. Stephens Chapel.
DEATH OF THE lION. CAPTAIN JOHN H. PERT.
The family connexions of the Earl and Countess
Limerick have received the mournful intelligenceO of
the death of the Hon. Captain John IL Pert', who ex•
pired on the Bth ult., at St. John's, Ne
after an illness of about seven weeks, ngsawlliacnki
Captain was in command of allecomp' ; :37 ohrufethe 30th
Regiment on that station. third son of
Henry, the late Lord Glentworth,was
grandson of
the Earl of Limerick, and had just st entered his 30th
year. The Earl and Countess of Limerick, Dowager
Lady Glentworth, the Hon.
Henry and Lady Frances C Mr. Spring Rice, Sir
alder, Lord and Lady
Glentworth, Lady
Cecil Delafield, Mr. and Caroline Russell, Mr. and Lady
Lady Louisa Pole, and seve-
ral other families, arein
placed in mourning by the
death of the 11011.
were to be Gentleman. His mortal remas
interred at St. Johnl.