The Sun. — 1846-05-16 (London, England)

ATTEMPTED SUICIDE.—Last night, shortly after twelve O'clock, a most by a young female near determined attempt at suicide was made Clarke's timber-yard, at the end of the Waterloo-road The young resider 'with her parents atggiri,whose name is Wemborn, and who man who is paying his addresset Kennington, is much attached to a young minster-road. Last evening she roue female residing at the Westwas passing Clarke's yard she n owed him about, and while he knife in her hand, and exclaimedshenspvoinolki;nti, with a sharp tableweary of life. The young man seized her arm,tb illetrseelf, as she was herself fri nn him, and was in the act of plunging the weapon disengaged side, when a tradesman named Humphries ran up iteendponinto he r seized tun* arms, and wrested the knife out of herhands. She was secured, and removed to her father's home in a cab, The Duke and Duchess of Norfolk had a dinn party 1 Ist night, at Norfolk House. er The Right Hon. Sir Robert and Lady Peel give grand entertainment to a distinguished circle this evening at the Right Hon. Baronet's residence in Whitehall. gardens. It is stated that a robin is not permitted to live longer than four years. At that age he is attacked by the younger birds and killed. Though at other times the most pugnacious of birds, he ' dies unresistingly.  It is a curious and instructive fact in the history of commercial nations, that England, after an experience of three hundred years, after restrictions upon trade and commerce without number, whether by heavy imposts or absolute prohibition, or navigation laws, is, in the middle of the nineteenth century, rapidly adopting the political as well as fiscal principles which rendered the small republic of Holland the most flourishing, industrious, wealthy, and most powerful state in modern times. That little community, which afterwards became so illustrious, commenced its very existence with the free-trade system, it encouraged the importation of 1 corn and wine, and iron and wood, in short, of every necessary of life, and every material for manufactures; during its prosperity too, and when some neighbouring nations were gaining ground upon the industrious Dutch, still they adhered to their principles under every temptation and provocation which might excuse a departure from the sys- ' tem, and finally triumphed over all their opponents. History, "the mistress of wisdom," teaches us these facts, and it teaches also that the greatness of the republic first began to decline, and trade to recede from its shores, when the ambition of Stadtholders, and the expenses of foreign wars, and the folly of the people, imposed heavy import duties. DE Wrrr, who saw the evil day coming, prophetically said, "If theseaugmented imagineut custom-duties be long maintained, let us not our people, thus burdened, will be able pete with foreigners... sir v. to compete by such lessons, :Indus:" 1"117.1, to his honour, has cated state :of society will admit, to remove' afar as a compliobstacle to the full development of what the PyrlT possible °rusts' using the phrase in a different sense, call "native industry: Free trade, in fact, is the only source of real industry, whether applied to cotton, or corn, or wool, or silk ; and on this great principle, which is fully admitted by all the leading statesmen of this country, the Minister has founded a commercial system remarkable alike for its daring and its certain results. Experience, which shows what it has done points out with a precision approaching to reality what it can do ; and it is singular that the question had only to be fairly opened for consideration to ensure complete success. Never on any measure did such unanimity prevail among men whose opinions are of value, as on this corn-law question : statesmen, political economists, practical manufacturers, the great body of the representatives of the people, and the people themselves, are all on one side, and though speeches have been made almost without number showing the certain ruin which will follow this great innovation, the majority in its favour, alter some three months' deliberation, has rater increased than diminished. On the first grand division which tcok place for going into Committee, on the last day of February, the majority was 97, and on the last it was 98, in a House with twenty-one Members less. The fate of the new system of policy is thus sealed. The prospects which it opens up are almost too vast for human conception ; for it creates a commercial revolution not in the United Kingdom only, but throughout the world. Want of space prevents us from adverting further to the subject.  We yesterday drew the attention of our readers to the result of the debate on Thursday night on Mr. SPOONER'S motion. The subject is too important to be allowed thus to pass over. It assumes many phases. We yesterday touched only on that which concerns