The Sun. — 1851-03-27 (London, England)

LATEST PARTICULARS.  A most painful sensation prevailed the whole of yesterday throughout the extensive parish of Newington in reference to the melancholy loss of life which occurred at 31, John-street, noticed above. The house consisted of only three rooms, and from the ground floor to the roof was, probably, not more than 12 or 14 feet high. Mr. Richardson, who with his wife lived in the parlour, on being awoke by the smell of smoke, and on finding that the house was on fire, made his escape as quickly as possible. The policeman, while waiting at the corner of the street for his sergeant, was suddenly alarmed by loud cries of " Police," and "Murder," proceeding from the premises. As soon as he reached the door Mr. Richardson and his wife emerged from the house, and, not knowing that any one else was within, he closed the street door to prevhennitlditnhge udraught hhetnhedispatched him to afrrormivaflorocfinghisthse eserflgaemant, twhhroougt factnot otifllthafeteprootlriemeaffincer and had h his call the engines. departed that thebecame known. T in the upper room h wile being ten. dering it impossible for any one to enter. The Brifl:arwfuals flames then had enveloped the room in question, gado and West of England engines were on the spot in less than ten minutes after the alarm was given, and by another quarter of an hour the fire was safely extinguished. Shells having been procured during the morning the mangled remains were removed to the dead-house, to await a coroner's inquest. Tho Brigade authorities during the day instituted a very searching inquiry for the purpose of ascertaining how the melancholy event happened, the result of which leaves no doubt that both Mr. and Mrs. Potts, when they arrived home, were intoxicated, and it is suspected that in retiring to bed they dropped a spark on to the bedding, which being unperceived must have smouldered until it broke out in a flame. The poor creatures were by that time so overcome with the liquor they had drunk that they were unable to assist themselves.  In the Lord Mayor's Court, yesterday, was heard a case of great interest to parties having claims upon foreign Baron de Haber had, at his private bankers, is London, a Governments. As far back as the year 1834, the considerable sum. The Government being pressed for money, compelled the banker to surrender it for their use, and the Baron received assurances that the amount would be returned. From that day until the present not a sixpence has been refunded, and accordingly to obtain some settlement of the claim, im amounting, with arrears of interest, to about the moneys lodged by the Portuguese Financial agency here with the London Joint Stock Bank, have been attached. The merits of the case as regards the seizure were not before the court, but simply the rights of attachment, and this was held not to exist, because the amount does not belong to the Queen of Portugal, who, it is alleged, has no control whatever over it when once remitted to England. The difficulty, of course, in these cases is to determine the party to whom the money really does belong. No doubt the case will, in a new shape, be followed up, and if Baron de Haber is unable to recover of the Government, we presume his banker will be liable. If any justification of the seizure is to be made, we shall then probably have it. The public debt of Prussia which bears interest amounts to 155 millions of thalere, to which must be added 18,333,000 thalers of provincial debt. The debt of the State has increased 26,599,006 thalers since 1850.