The Sun.
London, England, 1818-05-12 00:00:00

COBOURG THEATRE.

This Theatre:wira op.ened,again last night (Or
tlre regnlar perfottnances. But we are sorry to
find that it comnpflitcd tumult. It seems that
NO-RMAN, the Cl9.wn at that place, is engaged
also art L'ovent--garden Theatre, and as his services
were rvquiretLTn the Pantmnime there, he wished
to hai-e the Pantomime of the Cobourg Theatre
performed as the first piece, that he might be able
to etend his duty at the other. NORMAN' ap-
pealed to the audience, and declared that Mr.
GLo4sol., the Manager, had assented to this ar-
rangetoent, but bad rot acted, and had refused to
give him the cloaihs for the Clown's part. This
assent was denied on the part of Mr. GLossok, by
persons %choir) he sent on the stage for that pur-
pose. NoRRIAN pe'rsetered in repeatedly address-
ing the audience. A vet y riotous feeling took
place. on the part of the audience, who g,rOssly
insulted the persons deputed by the Manager.—
There is certainly a fal,ehood on one side
or the. other, but as we know. nothing Of
either Parts, tt e, must wait fur farther deve-
lopement ; yet we in-4 ielitore to say. that
NottfkiAN acted Very reprehensibly in appealing to
the audience against his employer. Such appeals
are sure to be productive of riots, and may lead
to very mischievous consequences. We conceive
that iespect•for the public, as well as justice to
the party really aggrieved, requires a full expla-
nation of the whole affair. The Proprietors of
the Theatre, they may be, for we know
nothing 'respecting them, must have been at
a vast: expellee, as well for the engagement
of a 'Company of Petfortuers, for the nightly
disburiethetits, &c. &c. as in the erection of the
Theatre ; and it ' ‘vOhld be bard, ,noju.t, and
cruel if their hop'ei were to be defeated,
and their property, brought into hazard, by the
atrogance, pride, or folly of an
Rut we forbear to Say any tiring More on the Sub-
ject at pteseut, repeating, lioWever; our opinion,
that the matter ought to be folly explained to the
Public, in ,consequence of the event which,has
taken place, and which was disgraceful to the-vi-
sitor, inastoticil as they took .the part of the
Clown, vkithout heating-a proper statement of the
case, though the slightest reflection- might nava
convinced them that the Proprietors wet e essen-
tially interested in giving pleasure rather that'
offence to the
.Public at large.

SAGACITY of A GitLYIIOUND AND POINTER:—
We have had *a great many remarks of late on the
sagacity Antl ingenuity of dogs, but perhaps the
fact recorded in the following anecdote, the truth.
of which may be relied'npon, Was not been sur-
passed by any thing that has yet appealed. A
,(ientletnan lit the county of Sibling kept a grey-
hound and a pointer, and, being fond of cours-
ing, the pointer Was. accustomed to find the hares,
and the greyhound -to 'catch them. When the
season was over,.it was found that the dogs were
in the habit of going out by themselves, and _kill-
big the hares for their own ainusement. To prevent-
this a large'iron ring was fastened to_the pointer's
neck by a leather collar, and hung down, so as to
prevent tie dog from running or jumping over
dykes, &c.—The anintrls, however,' continued to
stroll out to ihe fields together ; and one clay the
Gentli!marr, suspecting all was not right, resolver{
to %valet; Client, and to his surprise, found that
the moment they thought they were unobserved,
the greyhound took up the iron ling in his mouth,
and; carrying it, they set off to the lifts, and be-
-gap to search for hares as usual. They were fol-
lowed, .and it was observed that, whenever the
pointer scented the hare, the ling was dropped,
and the gteybound stood ready to pOunce upon
poor puss the moment the other drove her irons
her form, but that he unifoimly returned to assist
his companion when hehad accomplished his ob-
Edinburgh Mag.)

CO.-

EXTRAORDI NARY FE AT.—WelltieSday, A mare,
belonging to -Mr. BaowN, maltster and brewer, of
Earl-street, .11ristol, performed the extraordinary
task of completing 100 miles in 10 hours and 4
minutes, for a wager of. 20 guineas. His son, a.
youth of about 14 years of age, rode the animal :
the ground chosen was frwm Stoke's-crott.to the
Old Passage. •

DREADFUL UATASTROPHR.—On Thursday morn-
ing, as two most Zealously attached brothers
(15 and 14 years oNge), sons 01 JOHN MITCHELL,
Esq. of Cooltueen, in the county ItoscOmmon,
‘vert: examining a loaded fowling-Piece, in one of
the apartments of their father's house, it acci-
dentally exploded while.in the hands of the elder
brother, and killed the other lad upon the spot.

Amongst the novel inventions in this mechani-
cal age, an. instrument bat, just been completed
for turning over the Jeaves of a music book, with.
out obliging the performer to take his hand froth
the keys.

On Wednesday a severe thunder-storm was ex-
perienced at flodniin, Cornwall, and its neigh-
bourhood ; a hall of electric fluid fell near that
place, and wholly destroyed the verdure in a space
of about. 46 yards square. At St. Vinnock, widths
four Miles of .Liskehrtl,. the hail lay- above four
feet against the fledges ;. whilst at lay-
ti.e
atmosphere was quite serene.
Last night, about. 8 o'clock, the upper part of
Drury-lane, which is in St„Giles's parish, was a
scene of the greatest-contusion, which was caused
by a„general fight. Hundreds of persons witnessed
the outrage,-anti there were at least an hundred
who were concerned in the breach of the peace.
The fight cormiletrced first by a few indiViduals of
the tO%vest class of the Irish, ssho were (hunk,
and tuned out to fight. Many beads were broken,
and'the consetpience• (as ou a former occasion)
might have vroved fatal, had not some constables
interfered to restore peace. One Gentleman had
;Le skirt of. his coat tort Off passing through the
crowd, and several persons wt re robbed. The,
c,rowtl passed along hinces-street, and dispersed,
One person had his leg broken in the affray.
Sunday morning, about 3 o'clock, a dreadful,
riot took place amongst the lowest class of people
at. the Waterloo'Coffee-house.,-Whitecross.,strier,
when several were 'most' dreadfully cut and
Wounded. One young woman died while convey-
ing to the hospital, 'another was not expected to
survive the wounds she received. Tice master 4
„.
the correeroOm, a id two more persons, ate ,;1.1
custody.

LITERARY REVIEW.

A r I'PLY to the INQUI!IY of Mr. STEVEN into the
A 7.ti TsESof the CHAR rElt SCHOOLS in IRELAND.—

By the Hey.. ICH.; RD Nu GENT HoRNER, A. B. Curate of
Dautlaßi, Diouss of Araug•h.—Dunda:ic.

Considering Ireland as an essential portion of
the Empire, and feeling a strong intelest
in'its welfrlre, we arc persuaded that we shall ren-
d,-; no slight service to that country by giving
y to this satisfactory Reply in defence of
1;, PV,TESTANT SCHOOLS. Religion and 4duca-

ti,,n are matters of the utmost consequence, and
b;ist securities fur the preservation of a civi-
lized State. The subject of CHARTERED SCHOOLS
tva's recently introduced in the House of Com-
mons, :Intl as they are of essential importance
to society, it is fit that no abuses should take
place, but that the design of the Founders
should he olm.erred with all due solemnity. With
respect to the PRoTESTANT SCHOOLS of Ireland,
we
-arc persuaded, from all we have heard, that

the more strictly an investigation into the-prin-
ciples on which they are founded, and the con-
duct pursued in their management, is carried into
efit:,cr, :he stronger will appear the claim of those
Schools to the support of the Imperial Legida-
-IWe. NVe, therefore, readily dedicate a part of
our columns to a subject Which is so important
and interesting, not only to the rising generation
or present, but to their successors, to the mast
tliitout period of human existence.

" The Schools which are the subject of the
ing pages, were e,tablished by Charter, in
the yvat 1733, upon the petition of the principal
N,bility, Clergy, and Gentry of Ireland, and for
the purpose of instructing the Children of the
Popish, and other poor Natives, in the English
toolue, and the principles of true Religion and
y.'
" To dissipate the moral darkness in which a
considerable portion of the Irish population were
then involved, to enlighten their minds, arid to
sithdue their turbulence, were the objects for
which they were founded. The introduction of a
purer Creed, and the enconragement of the
lan:2,natre, were the means by which these obL
j-eti wrre proposed to he attained. 'Whether the
of the Institutions were commensurate
with the magnitude of the results expected from
them, i; is now needless to inquire. But it is
cc.rtain that there is one important end which they
answer, in a high degree. The instruction of
so great a number of poor destitute Children,
bringing them up in habits of industry, and qua-
and.enabling them to become useful mem•
soci-ety ; advantages of peculiar import-
auce in a country abounding in population, and
wlwre no general Fund is provided for relieving
the distre,,ses of the poor.' . . .

" If imperfections have been discovered in the
ChArter Schools, it must not be forgotten, that
to this vtiv discovery of their imperfections their
cxe,lleuce is die, and that time, which has ex-
p,, ,e,! Cie defects of the system, has also brought
their remedy.
Ilow tar they are susceptible of farther
a ueadment ; how far the machinery by which
iney are i and which some consider rather
coinpl,•x. m ry adult of such modification as Will
r,A.:!yr i:Astore effective in the able hands to which
k co:iti:lrd, it does not become me to say. The
slinf!Ze.-d which has raised the Schools to their
pue3cii, du2rVC of perfection will perform what.
c,er reumin to be done. But -1 would depre-
c•Ate ?tihst WlOll of any different course of ethi-
c t lot if t bete were no other reason, the
tb:iects of, a ditieren: course can only be frilly
9-ce.tni,eri by the test of years, and can otiy be
ki,ovvit when to know them may be fruitless.

" cuAr. 1.

" The statement of Alr. Steven, on the Abuses
nt Ow Charter Schools of Ireland, has been for
some before tile public, awl may, by the bold-
n,ss Of it, as,ertions, have produced an effect
rotiLl only be warranted by their truth.
His Treat !,,:• he has. entitled, An Enquiry,'
willb what jii,tice I confess myself unable to dis-
cover. lie proposes to shew the state of the
Charter Schools in 1817, and, in order to do so,
h. s!-runs to have carefully avoided every report,
'which could, iii any itese, be considered as fa-
vourable to them. Documents which prove an in-
errase in the annual grants to the Incorporated
Society he can trace down to the latest moments ;
but dot-it:news which prove the increased utility
of its establishments he has not honoured
Kith h;:, notice; and, with a spirit not a little
extraordinary in an Enquirer, be appears more
aill‘io:s to criminate, than to examine.
" The Cuatter Schools of Ireland Mr. Steven is
rkosed style a Protestant Manufactory. The
rlr ;net of the phrase can only he equalled by the
Leto:it y of its application. But 1 must remind him,
ilia! the Chatter Schools are no more than Charita-
ble I iistit utious, for the education and maintenance
of the ititiint poor.--That, though Protestantism
is din• form of religion inculcated there, it is only
itisinoeil int because it is considered the purest—
Ard gnat the question is simply this, whether the
Chit iren received into these establishments are
eilitclted in a way likely to form useful members
of s•ot.it• y, and whether the sums destined for
,iioporr are applied to the purpose for which
they li,tve twrn given.

Ti; it the Children who are admitted into the
Charter S,hools are carefully. instructed in the
fiin*.iineui Al principles of religion, and trained tip
moral conduct and regulated industry,
is A fact known by those who have taken the trou-
ble of in .king a personal inspection. This was, a-
ih diligence which decency Light have
t.sught a person to exert, before he addressed the
ic:dlected wisdom of the nation. This was a de-
give of circuinspection, which mere humitnity
wo,ild have soi.;i4estett, before assertions were
:i3Adr, the tendency of which was to deprive of
~..fction and of bread, a number of beings,

whose poverty gave them upon the Online bounty
a claim, ‘rhich was still farther confit met! by their
youth. But this diligence and this circtonliee-
t ion were disregarded by Mr. Steven. lie enters
(fit no personal exaelination—He does not even
look to the printechd +ctonents upon the sub:lett for
the last thirty years. Had he three so, he would
have learned from Mr. Etlgworth, a man whose
wind was not of a cast to feel etty respect for.
error, even when established be custom, and con-
secrated by its 'antiquity, that he had reason to
congratulate the Society on the flourishing state
of their schoOls; and that the system of educa-
tion Was efficacious, practical, free from bigotry,
and in every respect such as to fiat it beyond the
reach of private defamation or peblic censure.'
—The whole p.rocess of this entetirer, however,
amounts to nothing more than a reference to the
Reports of MrAloward and Sir Jeremiah Fitz:
patrick, made in the year 1788. It were much to
be wished, that when he adopted their observa
Lions, he had imbibed their spirit.—Those Gen-
tlemen uudertook their esettil labours ,aid; a view
to render a National Charity worthy of National
sepport. They exerted thellibely.es to restore the
health of the systeei, but they had too much pene-
tration to suppose, that the best mode of remov-
ing the disease was the destruction of the patient.
" Their remarks were received, by the Incor-
porated Society, with that respect to which tilt;y
were entitled, and acted upon with an alacrity
which their importance: Claimed. Their effect ‘ias
soon manifest, in the increased comforts and int•
provement of the Children; end the reports of the
several visitors, which I Torte, fully testify the
progressive amendment which has taken place, as
well as the state of excellence to which these esta-
blishments have attained. Tile persons, on whose
authority I rest this pair of the question, consist-
ed of Ecclesiastics and of Laymen,—of per,ons
too much interested in the welfare of Schools to
overlook incorrectness ; yet not so far interwoven
in the management their concerns as to palliate
it. Nay, their Reports themselves bear internal
evidence of their truth. We find that thy held
the balance with a steady hand, and while their
praise is bestowed on all that merited approba-
tion, their censure is inflicted on all that merited
reproof.
" Such were the men whose testimony I refer
to, and the Stint of that testimony is decidedly
favourable to the Charter Schools.' I cannot,'
says Mr. Corneille, Secretary to the Board of
Education, close these Reports, without repress-
. ing the very great satisfaction, which I expe-
, rieuced from the very general good state of those
Schools under the care of the Incorporated So-
ciety, which the Board of Education sent tne- to
visit and inspect.' "
(7'o be coot need.)

DREADFUL EXPLOSION OF A POWDER

MILL IN AMERICA.

On Thursday, the I 9th of March, the valuable
Powder Mills belonging to M. Dupont, (the.
French Emigr6) at Brandywine, Del ware, were
blown up, and from twenty to thirty persons killed,
and ten wounded.-;—The following are the parti-
culars

" Wilmin7,ton, Del. Sd ran. 201 h, 1.818.

"Yesterday, between nine and ten o'clock, we
beard a tre•,endous explosion, and experienced a
strong pressure on the doors and windows, sup-
posed to be an eartlfuake. We perceived from
the window a large rising mass of smoke, and soon
after heard that Dopont's Powder-wills had blown
up. The first explosion was the pounding-mill,
into which, they say, a man who had worked
many years there was observed carrying fire,
from Which a spark fell—the person who saw this
precipitated himself into the race, under the
bridge, in time to be safe.
" After this exploSion, Dilutes collected \the
men at the small magazine (where a waggon %vas
loading), to secure it ; but in about tell minutes
this expleded, and, dreadful to relate, it is sup-
posed nearly 30 lives were destroyed t.—men,
wo-
uten, and children being round about I loking/. fur
their friends after the first explosion. , The grand
magazine was still left, stipposed to contain at the
time 60 tons of powder :—fire falling all round,
fences, leaves, &c. burning, no one would ap-
proach for some time, either to assist the
wounded, or to extinguish the fla;nes. At
length Victor Dupont (his brother being absent,
and Delmas wounded) held a council And drew
lots. The resolute man on whom the lot fell
went to examine the magazine, and happPy
found it eninjured. ! They now extinguished the
fire, and sought for the dead and wounded.—
My brother, who with many others went fr.mn
town, has returned, and says the horror and de-
yistation are indescribable : he saw human bo-
dies and limbs scattered far around, mingled
amongst stones, timbers, &c.—a sad scene of
misery. Dupont's Daws's, and Ilirou's houses
were very much shattered—many -small houses
torn to pieces—and where the small magazine had
been there is no vestige of a building. The
amount of loss in property, and the ntunber of
lives, is not yet accurately ascertained."
[Faun ANOTHER ACCOUNT.)
" Marshal Grouchy, M. Dupont, and another
Gentleman, gathered close round a. large tree, the •
heaVy branches of which preserved them from the
many pieces of timber and fragments of rocks
which fell round them. The windows, floors, and
roof of M. Dupont's house were blown oil'. His
daughter,'Madame Biddermann, was sitting in a
chair, when the floor on which it rested and that
above it were blown up ; the chair was blown to
atoms; fortunately M. Biddermann was very little
hurt.—Mrs. Dupont and her sister were slightly
hurt ; Mr. Delmas bad• his shoulder dislocated.
The only article unhurt in the house of M. Du-_I
pont was a portrait of Napoleon litionaparte. In
the magazine it is said there was 25,000 cwt. of
gun•powder e this, together with the sulphur,
saltpetre, buildings, &c. has caused a loss of pro- •
perty to the enterprising and intelligent owners of
more than 30,000 dollars."

EXTRAORDINARY FACT.—A hootmaker, resident.
in the borough of Caine, and who is freeholder of
Wilts, has now three- journeytreen working for
him, who are also freeholders, and one of the
latter has votes for the hundreds of Cricklade,,&e.
They can of course jointly give ten votes at the
ensuing election.

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS.
BULLOCK lIUN I'ING.

Yesterday John Rippon, Chisholme,
Charles Allan, William Howells, and Geo. Buckey,
were indicted for having riotously assembled in
STitalfields, on the 23th of March, and assaulted
William llenry Racine and others.
The trial lasted upwards of fonr hours, a great
number 'Of witnesses having been examined titon
both sides. The following are the leading facts :
At thiee o'clock on the day specified in the-in-
dictment, while (tie workmen of Mr. Racine, who
owns a silk warehouse in gyre-'street, which con-
tained property atnountiug in value to 100,000/.
were at work, a bullock was driven into the pre-
mises by a body of violent fellows, consisting of be-
tween 200 and 300. The animal had been fol-
lowed by this band until it arrived opposite to
the gate of Racine's premises, and then was,
with great dexteri y, interrupted in its course,
and dri ven'fn upon the premises. The prsoners.
al>pc pared amongst the httll:ork-drivers. Itppon
was the most remarkable -for activity, and the
other prisoners, with the exception of Allan and
flockev, -seemed 'to improve tonkr such a leader.
The workmen, upon that entreaties would
not do, used threats to itsduce the hullock-drivers
to leave this kind ot diversion. The inewices of
t)srotving h.`;l-water and firing upon them pro-
(bleed no effect. At last blank cart ridAt was
fired, hut that plan ot defence being, as inelfectual
as the other, the workmen let off a little small
shOt, and wounded three ot the mob, but not dan-
geronsly. Their impression at the titne was, Ora
the bullock was dtivrn in for the purpose of creat-
ing a cont,:sion, during whit h Ow property of
their master might be diminished. Still the
'drivers con; lulled their labour 'at the brri,t, and
at the wii.dows of ttu pr'emises, and at the work -
nicti,wholornted theius, Ives into a body,and strug-
gled to shut the gates. tint bullock-drivers had
oppot unit yto show their power. f•heyhadlatge
bits upwards ot 6 tee' hi;.;ti,a,,a thick enough tit dis-
ahlL. a man wlicrever they should descend upon him.
Rippou exclaim, It, .n r,e midst of his activity,
`• Now is the time to come in, in brls." Ades-
iterate contest ensued, which would have ended in
tavour of the hohock-drivers, had nut thy police
arrived, and turned the fortime of the day. Mr,
Racine exerted himself for the preservation of his
property, but was desperately beaten. Upon reach-
ing a shop in the neighbourhood, which he did
with difficulty, he taihted. Seven of the wot kmen
were dangetously wounded. Tile poor bullock
was driven in so desperate a manner, and goaded
so cruelly,
.that it ran mad ; and 'after having
tossed several peaceable persons, -fell down death.
e Via obonds have been in the habit of bullock-
driving in those premises three times a-year: The
property of Mr. Racine is easily removable by
ruffians constituted as the bullock-drivers were on
this, occasion. •

The Jury retired,•and in half .an hour returned
:the following verdict :—Rippon, Yardley, Chis-
hol'ne, and Howells—Guilty Buckey and
Allan—Not Guilty.
The CHAIRMAN, in passing sentence, expressed
his astonishment at the indifference manifested, in
the part of the mettopolis- where this shameful
scene 'occurred, to practices attended with so
much (Linger, and &elated, that those who had
engaged in such vile disorders were much more.
brutal hal) the pooriilHMiii they had hunted to death.
The prisoners were then sentenced to the fol-
lowing vet y mild punishment :,--Itippon, six
months' imprisonment ; Yardley and Chisholme
3 months' imprisonment ; Howells, one n►onth's
imprisonment.
The father of one of the pi isoners said his son
was a very good young in:in,.had been absent
from Ayre-street when the offence WEIS
Mid ought to be sent to the Compter, it any where,
as I►e was a freeman. •
. .

. The CHAIRMAN answered, that if any life had
been lust the prisoner alluded t,9 would certainly
have been hanged.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

QUEEN-SQUAlUS.—ltrillinne Kirby, coachman to
the Duke of Athol, was brought before W.
FIELDING, Esq. charged with having desperately
wounded Richard Pet ry,, so as to endanger his
life. 01) Friday last the prisoner got out his
master's carriage in Princes-sheer, ‘Vestminster,
intending to put the horses to ; the wounded man,
who is likewise a servant, got out his own master's
carriage from an adjoining stable, when finding the
Duke's carriage in his way, he removed it, so as
to get the other by ; the prisoner asked how be
dared to do so, and ran to the stable for a mop-
stick, with which he struck the tither so violently
across the head that the scull was fracture‘_and
he lay fur dead about ten minutes vent the
ground ;- he was taken to the Westminster In-
firmary. Yesterday morning the surgeons were •
still, unable to pronounce him out of danger. The
prisoner's defence was, that he challenged him to
fight, and that the provocation he gave was solely
the cause of the dreadful blow being struck ; he
could produce proper bail, and was sorry for the
°eminence. Mr. FIELDING said he could not ac-
cept bail until the man- was declared out of dan-
ger.—Theprisoner was committed.
UNION-HALL.—Harriet Birder, a genteel-look-
ing young woman, about 16 years of age, was
brought before the Magistrate by Snow, the con-
stable of Newington, under the tollosying circum-
stances :—The pt isoner formerly resided with her
aunt, a person of great respectability, at Bury St.
Moroni's about six weeks ago site suddenly dis-
appeared ; her absence involved her aunt in deep
distress, and every exertion was. made by her to
ascertain the fate ,of her niece without 'suc-
cess. At length, she applied to Mr. Manning,
of Camberwell, her intimate friend, and requested
his assistance in the melancholy business. Mr.
Manning interested himself most effectually in the
search, and on Saturday discovered the retreat of
the fugitive, at a house in Amelia-street, Newing-
ton, where she was living in a state of prostitu-
tion. She turned" a deaf ear to his solicitations'
to return to her friends, who were anxious to re-
ceive her; and he then gave charge of her to Snow.
The Magistrate said' that he would immediately
commit her to the House of Correction as a pros=
attire, if she continued in the detertnination of not
returning to her friends. The young Lady chose
the alternative of a reconciliation with Ler aunt;
and wiardrew with Air. Manning.