The Sun. — 1840-03-18 (London, England)

PATRICK S DAY, MARCH 17.—This being the festival day of the patron Saint of Ireland, is denoted by wearing the " green immortal shamrock." Sir Thomas Overbury, in his " Characters," has an allusion to this day : he says, when describing a running footman—" 'Tis impossible to draw his picture to the life, 'cause a man must take it as he's running ;only this, horses are usually let blood on St. Stephen's day—on St. Patrick's he takes rest, and is drencht for all the yeare after." "As the British druids and bards had an extraordinary veneration for the number three, so," says Vallency, " the miseltoe was sacred to the druids, because not only its berries, but its leaves also, grow in clusters of three. united in one stock. The Christian Irish hold the seamrog' sacred in like manner, because of three leaves united to one stalk." The " seamrog" is thus mentioned in the Irish-English Dictionary : " Seamrog, clover, trefoil, worn by Irishmen in their hots by way of cross, on St. Patrick's Day, in memory of that great saint." Spenser, in his " View of the State of Ireland, 159{3," speaking of " these late wanes, of Monnster," which was before " a most rich and plentiful! country, full of corns and cattle," says the inhabita,lts were so reduced, that "if they found a plot of water-cresses, or shamrocks, there they flocked as to a feast for the time." Sir Henry Piers says that, in Westmeath, between May-day and harvest, " butter, new cheese, and curds, and shamrocks, are the food of the meaner sort all this season." Wythers, in his " Abuses Stript and Whipt, 1613," has this passage:— " And for my cloathing, in a mantle goe, And feed on sham-roots, as the Irish doe." THE LATE TRAGICAL OCCURRENCE AT RtcaUANSWOltTH._Thompson was so far recovered on Saturday, as to be able to be brought up in custody be fore two of the local Magistrates, on a charge of cutting and wounding with intent to murder. The investigation occupied several hours, Louisa Humphries (who is able to walk about), Mr. Smith, the surgeon, and several other witnesses, being was ultimately committed for trial examined. Thompson, who appeared to feel much remorse at theto tiie Assizes, he had made,onhe capital charge ; and he was conveyed ' to Hertford gaol in the course of the same evening.  Five pieces per month is plenty of work for one man to do ; and if the man has not a loom of his own, he has to pay 3d. out of every shilling of the above statement for his loom-room, winding, and attendance. Tho kind of cloth called quilting was 3s. 3d. per yard for weaving it in 1815, and now, in 1840, is 111 per yard weaving—a reduction of 2s. 4d. out of 33. 3d., since those starvation laws, were passed for only workmen's wages. The situation of those people who work in the factories, is a most deplorable one, for when they are in full work it takes all their earnings to provide the commonest food, to pay rent, and clothing, is not worth mentioning. For instance, Mr. Yates' faetory in Little Peter-street has been stopped for ten weeks, discharging 400 hinds. Mr. Paul Chappe's mill has been stopped about five weeks. Tnis is the great sewing-cotton thread manufactory. Then there is Mr. Massey's spinning and power-loom weaving manufactory, stopped for two or three weeks, under some repairs. So that on the compass of about four acres of land there are three factories, which employed 1,200 hands, completely stopped ; and the great fa-itory in Salford, of the firm of Lambert, Hook, and Jackson, has stopped about l,ooo# hands the last week,who have not the least hopes of being employed again until Whitsunday. This is the dreadful state to which thoic cursed Corn-laws have brought us within the last twenty-five years. In the New Cross district all the fine yarn-spinning factories are working three days per wc.ek, (except Mr. Houldsworth's factory, which is working four days per week, thus putting 1,800/, pair week out of circulatio►t in that district. I was speaking to a person who keeps an inn, with a spirit-vault attached to it, who told ine that he drew 451. per week, or thereabouts, twelve months since, and now he draws about 20/. per week ; butchers and bakers, likewise, are closing daily.  J. L.  Manchester, March 15, 1840. l'ilodestly said through the alteration of machinery.  TO