The Sun. — 1841-03-17 (London, England)

GALLANTRY OF A FRENCH. CORPORAL.— Some days since, when the Vincennes r4lemcn passed through Douay, on their road from Algiers to St. Omer, every one was eager to see the crosses conferred on them for the courage of which they bed given such remarkable proofs in Africa, and a certain degree of surp,ise was felt on seeing how scattily these rewards had been bestowed on she gallant band; but thole who have deeerved the glorious recompense arc to rec• ire it, we are informed, on their arrival at, St. Omer, from the hands of the Prince Royal in person. A corporal of the regiment, a fine athletic man, wearing the red ribbon on a coat worn threadb re by hard service, attracted every eye, and his order of knighthood was acquired in the following valiant manner:—Corporal N. (we regret our inability to give the gallant fell,w's name) was firing, with some dozen comrades, against a band of Arabs, when suddenly the latter retr. a'ed, and were followed by the Frenchmen. The corporal did not perceive the movement ti I it was eff, cued, and was about to rush forward to rejoin his men, when he beheld lying on the ground his lieutenant bathed in his blood. At the same moment seven Arabs rushed from a thicket to massacre the French officer, whose fall they had witnessed. The nature of the ground afforded the corporal full means to avoid the murderous band, but his honour forbade him to desert his officer, and he resolved to protect him or die. He consequently advanced to meet the foe, and, taking a cool ;dal, had the good fortune to disable two, wiih h.s bayonet he soon killed three more ; another, frightened at the sight of his dead and wounded comrades, made off ; one foe alone remaineil, and he resolutely caught the Frenchman round the body, and a terri7 ble struggle ensued near the brink of a precipice, to the bottom of which the two antagonists rolled locked in each other's armt. The combat continued thrre, and victory long remained undecided; when, fortunately for the corporal, an argular stone was in his reach, and with that offensive weapon he struck the Arab a tremendous blow on the head and koocked out his brains. The corporal then succeeded with difficulty in getting out of the goree into which he had fallen, and found that some corm-axles had returned to the assistance of the wounded officer, who, as soun as he beheld the corporal come forward, his face streaming with blood and his body covered with wounds, exclaimed, ." There is he who saved ire," and immediately embraced his delivt rer with fra•ernal affection. The officer and corporal were carried in triumph amid the applause of the battalion, and the cress of the Legion of Honour was given to the non-commissioned officer as a reward for the gallantry of his conduct. Courrier du Nord. _ _  HOTEL AND TAVERN KEEPERS' PROVIDENT INsmuTioN.--The member.s of the above Inst tution held their second annual gene al meeting at the neemasons' Tay. ro, Great Queen-street, on M..nday, Belll4min Bond Cabbell, Esq., in the chair. Ti c Secretary read the Report. It appeared that at the last audit 2e31. 93. reala'ued in favour of the Society, whict,, with 8041. 7s. 93. received in donatir ns and subse, iptions, and the dividend on stock, made the receipts in March, 1841, amount to 1,117/ 2t. sd. The disbursements being 1501. 14=. 4d. in the necessary exr.enses, and 8491. ss, Sd, iovetted with the Commissioners of the Nalional Debt, a.ui aVed to the permanent fund, left 1171. 23. 5(3, in the treasurer's hands. After congratulating the members upon the prop essive influence of the Society, the fir.. port stated that 384 members were enrolled, a great num. her of whom were cooks an waiters of hotels, for whose relief the Society was princid pally inteede4.