The Sun. — London, England, 1849-03-29 00:00:00

LITERATURE. LIFE OF 111AXIIIIILIAN ROBESPIERRE. One Vol. By G. H. Lewes. Already known favourably to the realing public as the author of " Ranthorpe" and of the charming little trilogy of "Rose, Blanche, and Violet"—those three carnations (or incarnations of love) on one stalk—Mr. Lewes has here made a bolder effort in literature. Ile has, according to the preface, in which he ac knowledges the encouragement received from his friend M. Louis Blanc, endeavoured to convey to the imagination of Englishmen a correct notion of the character of Maximilian Robespierre. To those who are acquainted with the various French contributions towards the history of the Re volution the attempt must appear altogether super fluous. It is a long while since the ghastly recollection of this "political fanatic" has been rendered familiar through the picturesque verbosity of Carlyle, through the lucid but rather refrigerating perio:ls of Thiers, through the distort ing lens of the diseased and corrupted intellect of Michelet, through the rapid articulations of Mignet, and the prolonged paraphrase of Thibaudeau, and the serene enthusiasm which envelopes like a golden atmosphere the eloquent narrative of Lamartine. The present biographer has added little to what was already known respecting the Republican of Ter rorism, beyond one or two curious letters never before published, written by the Barrister of Arras in his youth, or by his sister immediately anterior to his execution. The work is flawed by its over ambitious style, the inequalities of which are at times absolutely painful. The author, in striving to be effective, is only spasmodic, and too frequently mistakes grandiloquence for dignity. Occasionally, too, he pollutes the purity of his native tongue by such unnecessary coinages as verbiose, and fluctuates perpetually between the past and the present tenses. His book, in regard to composition, bears an unwholesome resemblance, in fact, to a memoir we had the calamity to wade through some months since, by an anonymous idolater of Mirabeau. Apart from style, however, the life of Robespierre has little to commend it as affording a correct or a vivid idea of that remarkable and wicked demagogue. The impression left on closing the volume would be feeble beyond description, but that the features of the terrible Revolutionist had been already carved out so boldly, clearly, and ineffaceably by such hands as those of Carlyle, of Thiers, and of Lamartine. Neither is the estimate of his character, of his merits and demerits, of his abilities and atroci ties, by any means either satisfactory or conclusive. If the Feeder depended upon Mr. Lewes for acquiring a correct, or even a positive notion of what should be thought of Robespierre, he would find himself left in a grievous state of indecision. Sometimes, indeed, the biographer seems to be consciously bewildered as to his decision on any contested point or phase in the character of the Republican. lie asserts in one sen tence what he bluntly denies in the next—see, in testimony of this his arguments as to the culpa bility of Robespierre in causing, or provoking, or permitting, or not opposing (Mr. Lewes is uncertain which ought to be the epithet) the wholesale massa cres by the guillotine just before the outbreak of the tremendous and ever- blessed conspiracy of the Thermidorians. That Robespierre was either a good, or a great, or a pure, or a noble, or a hold, or a wise, or a generous, or an eloquent, or a just man is false, - whatever some of his recent panegyrists may say to the contrary. To declare that he possessed any one of those qualities would be to utter a lie against history. It would be as insolent an outrage upon common sense as to deny that M. Fruition is a blas phemer. And yet, though Robespierre was not a good man, his private life was not tarnished by one physical vice ; though he was not a great man, he outstripped and survived all his illustrious competi tors; though he was not a pure man he was entirely devoid of the depravities of licen tiousness, and was unpurchaseable in an age of venality ; though he was not a man of noble temperament he never condescended to any act of personal turpitude ; though not a bold man he met the horrors of a diabolical and ignominious death with an unwinking eye and a shrug of the shoulders ; though he was not a wise man he was a laborious student of poetry, rhetoric., and philosophy ; though he was not a generous tr an he was revered by his familiars and beloved by Eleonora Duplay ; though he was not an eloquent man he delivered speeches from the tribune of the Con vention which are master pieces of oratory; though lie was rot a just man he was renowned (and deservedly renowned as far as freedom from the charge of bribery is concerned) throughout the whole of that country, over which he at last exercised a diabolical :dictatorship, as the incorruptible ! What is undeniable in regard to Robespierre is this. He was a very wonderful although a very despicable person. Without being the unnatu ral monster which the caricaturists of his memory have depicted him, his name is yet blackened with the most sinister crimes, and will remain infamous until the earth has perished from the face of creation. Notwithstanding this, he has two claims upon our admiration, for crime sometimes extorts admiration by its very sublimity. With a mind naturally nar row and a body constitutionally timorous, he soared to the altitude of greatness, even to a level with his immortal contemporaries—he dared to do what the boldest would have shrunk from in dismay. One cause for our admiration, therefore, in Robespierre was the force of his will. The other was the depth and earnestness of his sincerity. Ills will made a man of mediocre ability the chief of a great nation, and transformed a coward into the organizer of Terrorism. His sincerity rendered him what Mr. Lewes happily terms a " political fanatic." The principal subject for our abhorrence of that mean, bilious, suspicious, egotist is the callousness of his nature—that nature - which ever showed itself to be pitiless. Youth, ge nius, beauty, friendship, the venerable locks of age, and the silken curls of childhood—all fell before his inexorable cruelty and strewed his path, not with blossoms, like those scattered before the chariot wheels of the ancient conquerors, but with blood and ashes. Louis XVI. and his Queen, Vergniaud and his glorious comrades the Girondists, Dantan, whom he had sworn to defend, and Camille Desmoulins, who had honoured him with the eulogiums of his gay and witty imagination, the virtuous Princess, and the execrable Hebert, old and young, innocent and guilty, all were abandoned by him indiscriminately and without one pang of remorse to the bloody axe of the guillotine. True that the massacres of Sep tember were attributable to Denton and his accom plices—but Robespierre raised not a- finger to prevent them. True that his signature is not to every death warrant or accusation issued during the Reign of Terror—but not one life did he save, while every death may be justly laid to his charge as the origina tor of the system of destruction. To rummage among the dusty records connected with the ca reer of this man is little better than dig ging amongst ordure and decomposition. It en tails upon the biographer the contamination of con tact, and causes the result of his exertions to reek with blood, and to be impregnated with the stench of rottenness. His pen is used like a lancet to probe the ulcerated wound of the Revolution. We recoil from his labours while honouring his perseverance. Such are the sensations with which we close this painful compilation, the very binding of which is ap propriate, being of the gory hue of vermillion. PARLOUR LIBRARY OF INSTRUCTION. Another serial has just been commenced by the en terprizing publishers of this periodical succession of volumes—volumes as extraordinary in merit as they are unequalled in cheapness. Taking a hint from the eminent establishment of Mr. Colburn, Messrs. Simms and Ill'lnf:yre are now issuing a translation from the already renowned" Autobiography of Chateaubriand" —that legney of genius to posterity. The Parlour Library of Instruction is worthy of being circulated into every comer of the United Kingdom. lIISTOIRE DE LOUIS NAPOLEON BO- NAPART_E. Par Amedee Henn e q la • n' A more pitiable instance of spleen, or a m ore shallow attempt at ridicule a n d misrepresentation than this biographical book of 131 pages, we never quirt must henceforth b e pronounced perused. Heppe the antithesis, or rather the antipodes, to Plutarch— just as Fitzbail is generally mentioned as the anti podes to Shaksptlre—the first and the last of poets, the alpha and omega of biographers. The work was evidently int( coded to be a withering cannonade against the French.. President —it turns out to be, on the contrary, the I nost silly, little, amusing discharge of popguns imag inable. We leave the bubble to sparkle its brief hour upon the billows of Lethe. Its own innate fragility and attenuation NI ill lead to its abrupt disappearal )ce. FI NE ARTS. THE DESTRUCTION OF IDOLATRY IN ENGLAND. By George Patten, A.R.A. Yesterday we hail the gratification of attending a private exhibition o f this remarkable painting, at the residence of the ,distinguished artist, Mr. George Patten. The picture is of colossal proportions—so large, indeed, w lien contrasted with the apartment, that from a dine rent reason, but with equal earnest nesii—we " marve lied" (as the Wasp of Twickenham did when he saw e. :fly embedded in amber) "how the devil it got there." The epoch selected by Mr. Patten is 625 years after the crucifixion, when Christianity was introduced ink these islands. The reign is that of Edwin the Saxon . The incident is the destruction of the idols by Coii , the high priest of the idolatrous religion, who, wit) the fervour of a recent convert, is suddenly trans Fe rined from a worshipper into an Iconoclast. In the delineation of this grand and thrilling occi menu, the painter has enhanced his reputation by a work of indisputable power, and of a truly national cl utracter. The figure of Coifi mounted on the war-horse e of his Sovereign, while his silver beard " and hoary hair, Streams, / A ka ti meteor, on tile troubled air I. ". it full ig gisli 8d to 4s 2d THE SUN, LONDON; THURSDAY EVENING, MARCH 20, 1849. the rampant attitude of the charger, the gloomy but glittering image of Odir., the war-god of the Scan dinavian races, the turbulent throng, which is about to level his statue 'by the blows of clubs and battle-axes—all impart an animation to the spectacle that accords well with the excitement produced by the mere narrative of the historian upon the imagination. Contrasted with this impassioned part of the picture is the solemn tranquillity expressed in the different spectators—Edwin surrounded by the Counsellors of the famous Wittenagemote—Pau linus with the rest of his attendant missionaries— the crowd of miscellaneous witnesses from the thegn to the hind, from the archer to the cneght, all indi cating in their features the emotions either of horror, joy, or indifference. Several of the figures in the foreground are admirable as anatomical studies, parti cularly the prostrate form of the slave with the iron collar round his neck, indicative of servitude, and that also of the spearsman bending down to arrange the thongs of his leggings. There are minor fragments of the composition also worthy of minute attention. such even as the extended hand of the Benedictine monk pointing to the downfal of Woden.. The colouring is brilliant and harmonious, the central figure of Coifi being brought out with peculiar force by the dense but transparent shadows in the back ground, and by the artistic sky overhead. The work is altogether a remarkable achievement, and one of really national importance. Among the other productions of Mr. Patten, we observed his marvellous portrait of Paganini. NAVAL IN TELLIGENCE. APPOINTNZN S. Lieutenant—Augus!us Chetham Strode, to the Ex cellent, gunnery-ship, at Portsmouth. Master—James Saunders (1638), of the Sidon steam frigate, to command the N'rth Star discovery Ll 4, at Sheerness. Midshipmen—C. 11. Smith, to the Hydra, steam-sloop, on the south east coast of America station; William H. Liddell, to the Ocean Wig-ship at Sheerness. Naval Cadets—Christopher Borthwicke, to the Im pregnable flag-ship, at Devouport; William R. W. Hewett, to the Vengeance, 84, in the Mediterranean. The Brazils squadron was distributed as follows on the 16th of January:— At Moate Video—The Raleigh, 50, Commodore Sir Thomas Herbert, K.C.13.; the Tweed, 16, Commander Lord Francis Russell; the Lizard. iron steam-vessel, Lieutenant Hollinworth; and the Harpy, ditto, Lieu tenant Tomlinson. _ At Buenos Ayres—The Al( cto, s!eaar slocp, Com mander Massingberd, in attendance on Mr. Southern, the British Minister. At Rio Grande—The Hy.li a, ste._m-slo)p, Comman der Grey Skipwith. At Rio de Janeiro on the sth ult.—The Crescent, re ceiving ship, Commander Meheux; the Daphne, IS, Captain Fanshawe; the Amphitrite, 2G, Captain Eden, and the Griffon, brigantine, Lieutenant. Thurturn. FIRST LORD'S LEVEE.—The following officers at tenced the levee of the Right Hon. Sir Francis 'l'. Baring, Bart., at the Admiralty, on Tuesday :—Rear- Admiral Philip Brown; Captains W. Coppage, C. Fre dericks, F. Glasse, James Crouch, William Peel. W. Hood, H. Allen; Commanders J. J. B. Freere, G. Snell, John Reeve, G. Blanc, J. Barnes, W. Grant, R. Doug las, D. Wyld; Lieutenants Hon. 0. M. Lambert, John Sheers, W. G. Hemsworth, J. G. Raymond, Stoddart; Masters M. Bradshaw, James Tomlin, and A. Mackay; Paymaster and Purser E. Hooper; Royal Marines Col. Puke. _ . _ The Old San Josef, 110, will be taken into No. 5 dock at Devonport, on the 6th of next month, to be broken up. The Apollo troop -ship, Commander Rawstorne, arrived at Gibraltar on the 10th inst. This good old ship en countered all the force of the late gales in her passage. She beat all the way down the Channel against bois terous headwinds, and just as she was clearing it she was caught in a heavy gale, which lasted 24 hours. One of her anchors Ras washed from her bows by a tremen dous sea, carrying with it the cat-head stopper. Fortu nately the shank-painter held on, and prevented the bows from being stove in, and they were enabled, after great difficulty, to get it up. The sea at the same time washed away all the starboard side of the head, but did not effect any serious damage. Again, on the night of the 10th the Apollo encountered another heavy gale, with such a strong wind blowing off the rock of Gibraltar as almost to tear the masts out of the ship, but she got to an anchorage in safety; not so, however, an unfortunate American barque, that was entering the bay at the same time. She lit as driven ashore on the other side, and on the British quarantine boat approaching her to ask what assist ance she rc quired, the Spaniards fired at it, but did not hurt any one. The measles had broken out amongst the children of the artillerymen on board the Apollo, but only 5 out of the 25 had taken the disease. The Apollo was put into quarantine on arrival at Gib raltar, but it was expected that she would transfer the parties she had for Gibraltar to the quarantine vessel, and would proceed to 3131ta on the morning of the 15th, postponing the repairs of her defects until her arrival at that port. The Persian, 12, is ordEred to be removed from Dept ford to Woolwich to be fitted for commissioning. The Termagant, screw-frigate, is to be brought for ward at Portsmouth as a first-class advanced steam frigate. The Sampson, steam-frigate, having her cylinder new bored at Woolwich, will be ready to be taken out of dock on the 15th of next month. The Confiance, steamer, was ordered to take Captain Rich, and such of the officers and crew of the Vanguard as choose to avail themselves of a passage from Devon port to Portsmouth. MORE DOCKYARD REDUCTIONS.—Mr. Spiller, master shipvcright's assistant; Mr. Hosking's, foreman; and Messrs. Lacey, Fox, Ancell, and Jury, inspectors; with several leading men, are to be superannuated from De vonport Dockyard. The sweeping of the dockyards at this present time include some of the best and ablest men in the senice. The electric telegraph working along the the line of the South-Western Railway will be taken into Portsmouth dockyard, and to the port admiral's resi dence, in the course of this week. As the endeavour to bring the wires under water across the harbour was a failure, they have been brought round by Fareham to the terminus at Landport, whence they will be brought across the Landport road to the Ordnance fields, running along the line of the Portsea fosse for some distance; they will cross the walls into Portsca a little to north-west of the Unicorn gate, then crossing the Laboratory field, near Trinity Church, and in front of Major Travers's house, will enter the north east corner of the dockyard, and terminate at the Ad. miral's house. The officer in charge of the dockyard semaphore, Lieutenant Williamson, has received notice that his services will be no longer required; but as the tower will still be retained as a look out station, a sema phore man and one boy will remain; and it is not im probable that, as the semaphore tower commands a good view (over the low land at the Kicker Point) of Osborne House, that a telegraphic communication will be estab lished between these points. It certainly would be very useful to have a communication with Osborne House during the time the Court was sojourning there. PORTSMOUTH, WEDNESDAY.—The Planet freight ship arrived at Spithead this morning with a company of the Royal Artillery, under Captain Turner, bound for Ber muda. She embarks a detachment of the 42d High landers on Friday morning at Cowes for the same des tination. The Sidon steam-frigate, Captain VV. H. Henderson, C. 8., is, it is uhderstood, to be paid off on Friday. The Edinburgh, al, steam guardship, was undocked to-day. Her bottom was covered with weeds, from not being coppered. The Phenix steam-sloop, with a screw propeller, was docked to-day as soon as the Edinburgh was out. Wind, E S.E.; strong breezes and cloudy weather. PLYmuuTR, MARCH 27.—A court martial was yester day assembled on board her Majesty's ship Impregnable, 104, Captain Sir Thomas Maitland, to inquire into the conduct of Commander Charles Frankland Newland and others, the officers and crew of her Majesty's brig Ranger, in allowing that vessel to ground at Port-a- Grande on the 22d of July, 1848, through an alleged want of care on their part. The court consisted of Admiral-Superintendent Sir J. Louis, president; Admiral VV. B. Mends; Captain Rich, her Majesty's ship Vanguard; Captain Sir T. Maitland, her Majesty's ship Impregnable, and Commander Charles Mr. W. Eastlake officiated as Judge- Advocate. The Court having learnt from Commander Newland that he had no complaint to urge against any of his crew, and that tho crew had none to make against their com mander, proceeded to hear so much of Commander Newland's narrative as related to the grounding of the brig. From this and from the corroborative evidence of Mr. E. N. Harrison, purser; First Lieutenant B. S. Pickard, Mr. John Thomas, acting master, Second Lieutenant H. 11. M. Page, Mr. Thomas Davey, boat. swain, and G. J. Cocks, coxswain, it appeared that the Ranger ieft Plymouth on the 2d of July last for service on the west coast of Africa, taking mails for Madeira and the Cape Verde Islands. She arrived at Madeira on the 15th of July, and as the commander considered the Ranger for the time being as a packet, he rigidly complied with the Admiralty instructions to that class of vessels, and sailed again within 24 hours. At noon on the 22d of July land was reported; the brig was then 61 miles distant from the N.E. point of St. Antonio, and the commander being very anxious to make the anchor. age before dark, they pressed on under all canvass, and left Bird Island on the starboard hand, the wind on the port side, N.E., equally. Sail was shortened to jib and boom mainsail, with the intention of anchoring in about nine or ten fathoms; they were, however, prevented from doing so by a report of breakers ahead. The jibe wetd hoisted, and the ship bore up S.W. by S., and Commander Tudor, of her Majesty's steamer Firefly, a passenger in the Ranger, and a senior officer, professing a knoe ledge of the harbour, volun teered to pilot the brig. By his command the best bower was ordered to be let go, but fouled; the small bower was then let go, by which the best bower had cleared, but before she could be brought up by either anchor she took the ground at about 815 r.m. Sails were then furled, and an anchor got out at the stern, and four guns thrown overboard. The subsequent arduous and successful exertions of Commander Newland in heaving the Rarger off after she had been pronounced irrecoverable by his senior officer, Captain Prevost, of the Pantaloon, were not pub licly detailed, but were handed in for the optional peru sal of the Court. The sentence of the Court was, that the charge was proved as against Commander Newland, but in consi deration of the circumstances of the case, he was only adjudged to be severely reprimanded. All the other officers and the crew were acquitted. Her Majesty's ship Vanguard, Captain Rich, has been unmasted; her masts are sent to the yard for examina tion. She will be paid off on the 28th, and then go into dock for survey. her Majesty's sloop Racehorse is ordered to be brought forward for commission. The merchant brig Dart, from Madeira for London landed a mail here this morning. Wind, southerly—stiff breeze, veering from the east• ward to this westward. WOOLWICH, MARCH 28.—The Widgeon steam-vessel, fitted for the surveying service, left Woolwich this morning, to resume her duties, under the charge of Capt. Bullock. The Monkey steam-vessel, Master-Commander W. Bryant, proceeded to Deptford to-day, to tow the Per sian, 12-gun brig, from that port to Woolwich, prepara tory to her being brought forward fur commission. The Archer steam-vessel, when fitted with the engines of the Rifleman and a screw propeller, is to be commis• sioned at this port. The arrangements for the sale of the Torch and Myrmidon iron vessels, and the Adder, I)oterel, Otter, and Zephyr wooden steam-vessels, to a Harwich com pany have not been cerried into effect, and the whole of these vessels, with the Flamer steam-vessel, tire to be taken and kept in ordinary in the basin at Deptford. The Torch and Flamer went up the river for that pur pose to-day. The Vulcan troop-ship was taken into the basin to day, preparatory to being docked. The Royal Albert, 120 guns, is now progressing ra pidly, upwards of forty shipwrights being kept con stantly employed urea her. The whole of her lower gun-deck is tiniAlcd, with the exception of laying the planking, and the work appears of the strongest de •eriptton. The Ellin steam-vessel is in the inner basin, fitting with her engines by Alesarr. George and Sir John Rennie, two of 20 horse p(: . wer each, of a very superior construction, as ali her fittings are, as the vessel is in tendt d a di4atch boat for service betwixt ooborne house and the terminus of the railwpy at Portsmouth. The chief cabin is framed all round with rcishog;iny, with bird's-eye American maple panels, and has a very cheerful appearance, being well lighted from above. The engines and boilers occupy a comparatively small space, considering their power. The Brisk steam-vessel is making considerable pro gress in her construction, the whole of her frame timbers being nearly all up. MEMORANDA OF A MUSICIAN. BY GEORGE J. 0. ALLMANN. " Notes, notes, forsooth, and noting!" SIIAKSIERE. No. X. HAYDN Has left the following sentiments nn competition, which are peculiarly worthy of attention as proceeding from one whose sincerity, unbiassed judgment, and thorough comprehension of all branches of his art, have scarcely any parallel among musicians. He• says, "A musical composition ought to have a natural and striking melody; each idea should spring out of the preceding passage; ornaments should be sparingly, hesitatingly, and judi ciously used, and the accompaniments never overloaded. The rigid rules of counterpoint shota rarely be violated and never without the compensation of some inspired effect. When I sit down to compose I resign myself to my feelings and my unchecked imagination. It Fancy suggests a happy idea I endeavour to follow it up, and while I do not lose sight of my master subject and general plan, my aim is to work the different passsgcs into a regular and consistent whole. In vocal com position the art of producing beautiful melody may now almost be considered as lost (hear-this, degenerate mu sical freethinkers!), and when a composer is so fortunate as to throw forth a passage that is really melodious, he is sure, as if he were not sensible of its beauty, to over whelm and destroy it by the overcharging and super fluities of the instrumental parts!" The meaning of ;his is excellent, and more truthfully applies to the compo ,itious of the present day than it did even in Haydn's time. When modern musicians will come to their senses is a speculative subject upon which I will not at present enter; but for a case in point let me instance the follow ing trait of DE. JOHNSON'S MUSICAL TASTE. The great lexicographer, whose ear, as regards the power to appreciate musical sound, was singularly de fective, possessed, nevertheless, a certain quaint sense of propriety—it must have been, to say south, very solemn and unimaginative—in harmonic composition that im parted to him an insuperable distaste of, as well rapidity of execution as of unmeaning flourish, the distinction between which possibly the renowned Doctor could not well comprehend. One night being at a concert, at which an elaborate and florid concerto on the siolin was performed, he, after it was concluded, questioned a gentleman who sat next to him " What it all meant?" The interrogatory seemed to puzzle the amateur. who could only reply that it was very dijicult. " Very difficult!" echoed the learned auditor, growling as usual, "1 wish to God, sir, it had been impossible!" SPOR.Tir , 7G INTELLIGENCE. NORTLIA,.II 3 TON AND PYTCIILEY HUNT R.A.CES --TUESDAY (C . . . _ . The Farmers' and Tradesmen's Cup of 501. Twice round. Mr. Testifies eh fby Martin Chuzzlewit, 4 yrs, 7it I Ilb 1 Mr. CAvper's ch gby Bran, 4 yrs, 1 Ist 91b...(S3viri) 2 Mr. Treadgold's Maria Day, 6 yrs, list 91b (Butler) 3 Mr. Bagshaw's County Rate, 6 yrs, llst 91b (Berille) 4 Mr. A. Sharman's Sober Robin, 6 yrs, Ilst 91b ... 5 Mr. J. Gilbert's Ji.n Crow, 6 yrs, llst 91b (Tomlin) Mr. Frost na Rosebud, 4 yrs, lOst 7lb (Capeli) dis Won by three kngths. WEDNESDAY. The Tally•Ho Stakes of 10 sovs. each, h ft, with 25 added. Two miles. (7 subs.) Mr, W. Cowper's The Miner, 3 yrs, Bst 91b ...(Nat) 1 Mr. Lowther's Pulcherina, 3 yrs, Bst Glb (S. Rogers) 2 Mr. G. Ongley's Bird of Parudise,4 yrs, loit 61b ... 3 5 to 4 onPtilcberina, 2 to ] agst Miner. and 5 to 2 agst Bird of Paradise. Won by a length. Run in 4 mills. S secs. The Althorp Stakes of 10 sovs. each, and 50 added, for two yrs old cults, 8:;t 71b, and fillies, Bst 41b; winners 51b extra. T.Y.C. (22 subs.) Duke of Richmond's Officious ... (J. Kitchener) 1 Mr. B. Green's Cadger (Wint,ringham) 2 The following also ran:—Mr. Baxter's Pansey (Den man)—Lord Chesterfield's f by Don John, ont of 144111. poon (Whitehon,e)—Mr. Payne's Briugton (Nat)—Mr. G. Barton's Cardinal Allen (J. Alarson)—Mr. 1/xon's Kathleen (W. Da))—Mr. Worthington's Boadicea (W. Oates) —Mr. Magennis's St cret (!logers)—Mr. Ash win's Impression (Pettit)—M r. Watson's Outline (Boyce)— Mr. J. Sadler's Slockbridge Buck (A. Day)—Colonel Auson's f by Jereed, oat ut MAY (J. Sharp)—and Lord Clitden's Sicyon (Sly). Betting-3 to 1 agst Officious, sto 1 agst Ondine, 6 to 1 agst Bringtoa, 7 to 1 agst Cadger, and 10 to 1 each agst Cardinal Allen, Kathleen, and The Secret. Officious made nearly all the running, and won in a canter by two lengths. Run in 47 secs. An objection against Cadger, that he was incorrectly nominated, was over ruled by the Stewards. The Northamptonshire Cup. Stakes of 10 sovs. each, the winner to be sold for 5002, twice round. (17 Subs.) Mr. Moklam's Priestess, 3 yrs, Est 51b... (Arnold) 1 Mr. Osborne's Pity-the-Blind,3 yrs, 6st 71b ... 2 Captain Vyse nd Watch-dog, 5 yrs, 9st 51b (Rogers) 3 Lord Exeter's Skudar, 3 yrs, Est 71b ... (J. Mann) 4 Mr. Sanders's Empress of Russia, 4 yrs, Bst 71b ... 5 Even on Priestess, and 2to 1 agst Skudar. Won by a length. Run in 6 min. 32 secs. Handicap Sweeps of 10 sou. each. 5 ft, and 50 added. Once round. (13 Subs.) Mr. Roles Collingwood, 6 yrs, 9st 21b... (Nat) 1 Mr. Harrison's Miss Burns, a g ed , 7st 10Ib (A. Day) 2 Lord Clifden's tby Emilius, 3Yrs, sst 12Ib (J. Mann) 3 Count Bathyany's Eva, 3 yrs sst ... (Ware) 4 Mr. Lowther's Piecola, 3 yrs. sst 71b (Dockera3 ) 5 Mr. Green's Haidee, 6 yrs, 7st ... (G. Oates) 6 Even on Collingwood; 5 to 2 agst Miss Burns; and 3to 1 agst Flycatcher filly. Won by a length. Run in 2 min. 58 secs. The Selling Stakes of 10 sovs. each. Heats, once round and a dis. (3 Subs.) Mr. Sadler's Mountain Dew, 5 yrs, Bst Walked over. Handicap Sweeps of 1 soy. each, and 30 added. Twice round. (18 Subs.); Mr. Tresham's Ben Lomond. 6 yrs 1 Mr. Pcttifor's f by Martin Chuzzlewit, 4 yrs 12 ran. Won easily. The winner is objected to. BETTING ON THE COURSE. NEWMARKET HANDICAP. 5 to 2 agst Sir J. Hawley's Fernhill. METROPOLITAN HANDICAP. 7 to 1 agst Lord Eglinton's Lugar. 10 to 1 - Colonel Peel's Dacia. 12 to 1 - Mr. Gordon's De-the-boys (taken). 14 to 1 - Mr. Gregory's Loupgarou. CHESTER CUP. 18 to 1 agst Mr. Nolan's Blucher. 25 to 1 - Colonel Peel's Dteia. 40 to 1 -- Mr. Gregory's Loupgarou (taken). THE NORTHAMPTON HANDICAP. By some most extraordinary management on the part of the Electric Telegraph Company, the result of the above race, which ought to have been received in time for publication in our first edition, on Tuesday, did not reach us at all. The message, we can prove, was for warded from the course the moment the horses passed the chair, and was delivered into the hands of the clerk of the Electric Telegraph Company before three o'clock, therefore nothing was wanting on our part. How will the com pany account for this, and how will they explain away the fact that the first and second horses were communi catt dto an ex•pugilist shortly after three o'clock? Our message on the second day, forwarded by the same party and through the same channel, was delivered in duo course. We take for granted that the matter will be thoroughly inquired into. NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE RACES. Acceptances for the Northumberland Plate. st lb Cossack, 5 yrs Eller&le, 5 yrs 8 7 Inheritress, aged Flatcatcher, 4 yrs 8 4 Can. zou, 4 yrs 8 0 Limestone, 5 yrs Executor, 5 yrs The Tartar, 5 yrs Dough, 4 yrs i 11 Shylock, 4 yrs 13.tllinufad, 5 yrs Fire away, aged 7 3 1 Finvaragh, G yrs Jvhn Cossor, 4 yrs nistaffins, 4 yrs lieleshes,, 5 )rs Camphine, 4 yrs Emle's Plume, 4 yrs... 6 13 11..ilwoy King, 5 yrs... 6 111 st lb Whiz•gig, 4 yrs Miss Harrison, 4 yrs Maid of my Soul, 4 yrs 6 2 Vermicelli, 4 yrs 5 10 I PrimroA., 4 yrs 5 10 Fleur de Seine, 4 yrs 5 10 13e1us, 3 yrs Westow, 3 yrs 5 8 INu:inykirk, 3 yrs 5 7 ) i'hringarth, 3 yrs 5 5 Kennington, 3 yrs ) Abbot of Meauz,3 yrs 5 5 1 Ruby, 3 3 rs 5 3 Ltv , ur, 3 yrs ....... Pyand, .3 yrs 5 3 Antialibian, 3 yrs 5 2 Puffy, 3 )rs Rodney, 3 yrs Bro. to Johnny Arm- . _ _ , . Great W(stern, 4 yrs, 6 11 F.,cape, 4 yrs Big Jerry, 4 yrs; ... Tom- tit,. 5 yrs liapertinchco c., 4 yrs 6 5 Mahon, 4 yrs Lord &holm, aged Acceptances for tE st. Inheritress, aged Spithead, 6 yr 3 7 Railway King, 5 3 rs 7 C Circus, 4 yrs 6 It. , Asrmsia, 4 yrs Whizgig, 4 yrs 6 7 strong, 3 yrs 4 Z 2 LPgQrdetnain, 3 yrs 4 8 The Dui bar, 3 yrs Miss Ann, 3 yrs Cocktail (h b), 3 yrs Burghley, 3 yrs to Members' Plate. st. lb. 'Sir Robert Sloper,4yrs G Lady I-am-off, 4 yrs.— 5 12 Pyrland, 3 yrs 5 4 Andalusian, 3yrs 5 2 Lillie, 3 yrs ..... Nliss Ann, 3 yrs THE BRIGHTON THUNDER.—We are glad to have it in our power to state that there exists a great probability that the murderers of the late Mr. George Stonhouse Griffiths of Brighton, who was so brutally murdered on the Gth ultimo, are likely to be traced, Superintendent Taylor, of the Salford police, having apprehended a man in this city, on Friday last, who had in his posse scion a gold Geneva watch, sup posed to have belonged to the muriiered gentleman. It appears that, on Friday last, Taylor received in formation that two men had been in Salford, attempting to dispose of a gold match, when he tried to devise a scheme to obtain it, and to take the parties into cus tody. Failing in the attempt, however, he traced the parties to a beerhouse in Back Turner-street, in this city, where he went in quest of them, accompanied by Inspector Maybury, and two other Manches ter officers, and succeeded in apprehending one of the men, who gives the name of William Burgess, and after u search he found the gold watch concealed in one of the bedroom chimneys. The first account the num gave of its possession was, that he bought it from a man in Wrexham, Welts; but since then he has scat, d that he got it from an Irishman, in the Rising Sun public-house, Shudehill, in this city. As it was afterwards found to answer the description of the one stolen from Mr. Griffiths at the time of his murder, an exact description of it was forwarded to the police authorities of Brighton, and last evening a letter was received from them by the chief' constable, Mr. Neal, stating that the unfortunate de ceased's widow believed it to be the watch worn by her late husband. In consequence of this communication Superintendent Taylor lust night received instructions to start for Brighton on Wednesday morning, in order to ascertain beyond doubt whether such is in reality the tact. —Minicliester Courier. DESTRUCTIVE FIRE NEAR BIRMINGIIAM.—WED NESDAY.—Last night an alarming tire broke out on the premises of Messrs. Ilunt, cdge•tool manufacturers, of the Braides, a short distance from Oldbury. On the alarm being given the engine of the district fire office, stationed at Oldbury, was speedily on the spot, and a large body of water poured upon the building, but with little effect. A messenger was sent to Birmingham to procure further assistance, and in a short time the en gines of the Birmingham District and Norwich Fire offices were brought into action; and after two hours' playing succeeded in extinguishing the fire. The damage done is very considerable. The premises are insured in the Birmingham Fire-office. pEATII 01 SIR ANTHONY LECHMERE, BART. This venerable and much respected Baronet died on the 25th instant, at his residence, the Rhyd, county of Worcester, aged eighty-two. Ile was the son of Ed mund Lechmere, li,q., by the daughter of the Rev. John Whitmore, of the county of Warwick. He was born in 1766, and married in 1787 the daughter of Joseph Berwick, E,q., by whom he has had issue two sons an d six daughters. The deceased also married Mi ss Villiers, but had not any issue by that lady. He is succeeded by his el d est son, Ed mund Ilungerford, born 1792. He married in ISI9 Maria. daughter of the late lien.l). Murray . , brother to Lord Dili:ilk. The present baronet is the father of the lady of Evelyn Philip Shirl e y , Es q ., late ALP. forthe county of Monaghan, and the mem ber of an ancient Warwickshire family. The ve ry ancient family of Lech mere first came to England from the Low Countries. They obtained a large grant of land in Worcestershire for servicea rendered to William the Conqueror. A NEW ANTIDOTE AGAINST THE CHOLERA.— There has been discovered on Mount Olympus in Asia Minor, a plant, of which the botanical name is unknown. The stalk and leaves resemble thyme, the flowers those of lavender. After a number of experiments it has been found that a decoction of this plant has the power of producing reaction in the stage of collapse in cholera, to arrest the diarrhoea and sickness, in fact, to bring about the most satisfactory results. This plant, which is affirmed to be a true specific against cholera, is known by the name of Zhorabia.—Altdical Times. OPENING OP THE LIVERPOOL, ORMSKIER, AND PRESTON RAILWAY.—This line will be opened for pub lic traffic on Monday. It is amalzamated with the East Lancashire Railway, of vvhich it forms a section of some twenty-two miles. The line would have been completed earlier, but for the constant slipping of a very extensive embankment at Rutherford. This openin g comp l etes the railway communication between Liverpool, Preston, Leeds, and 13radford. CALIFOIZMA. GOLD FEVER IN :MEXICO. A letter to the New Orleans Crescent, dated Corpus Christi, Feb. 6, s a gs: — 4 . By a recent arrival from Mier and Durango, we learn that this intolerable gold fever, which is now con suming the Yankees, has taken equally as severe a hold on the universal magnanimous Mexican nation. Mr. Redmond, the partner of Mr. Mann, merchant of this place, who has just returned from a trading tour through the northern provinces o f M ex i co, states that large numbers of Mexicans have started for the placers of California. English, Scotch, and Mexican miners have invested large amounts of money in equipping and send ing over their parties to bring away the precious metals, and the number already en route for the • diggins' has been estimated at 15,000 "That these figures are large enough to astonish one, under ordinary circumstances, I cannot deny; but when we take into consideration the great excitement on this subject with our own people, this statement can the more readily be credited; besides, a Mexican is always equipped for long overland journeys, and will be far on his road while an American is settling a question of practica bility, as to whether he will go by land or water, in a steamer or in a carriage End four. The question is, can we :Mow foreign adventurers to abstract the precious metal of our territory and convert it into foreign coin? And this question is one for our people and Government to ansvrer. " Our navy can guard our interests on the coast; and the next point to be looked to will be our line of posts on the Rio Grande and the Gila, and from the Gila to San Diego on the Pacific. If the Mexicans dig our gold, we doubt much whether they w ill be very successful in getting it out of the country. A couducta of 2,000,000 dolls. in silver recently left the Fair of San Juan de los Lagos for the gold regions of California. to purchase gold dust; and another pissed through Perms with 460,000 dollars, for the same purpose. General Mojia has arrived at Ca murgo, in command of 200 troops; they are to be sta tioned on the line of the Rio Grande to prevent smug gling." AUTHENTIC ACCOUNTS FROM CALIFORNIA. (From the Boston 'Traveller.) Captain William D. Phelps, late of barque Moscaw, of this port, arrived here from California, via Panama, on Saturday morning. Captain Phelps brings a quantity of the gold, in grains, in scales, and in lumps—the largest of the latter weighing about an ounce and a half. The amount of gold brought by him has been much overrated in the published accounts, though he brings a considerable quantity—much less, however, than the lowest amount stated (38,000). As Captain Phelps worked personally at the mines, which we believe was not the case with blr. Atherton, his experience of the minutiae of the gold digging there is considerable. In the first place as to the pieces of gold that have been reported to be found, he says the largest piece that ha has seen is in the possession of Mr. Dfellus, and weighs but six ounces. He heard numerous stories at the mines of large pieces being found; but in every instance where they wore investigated, they turned out to be false, or greatly exaggerated. One man was reported to have found a piece weighing several pounds; he went to see him, and found that its weight was only two ounces, and that it was the pro duce of an entire day's work. REVENUE LAWS IN CALIFORNIA. The following is the Bill introduced in the House of Representatives on the 24th of January, which passed the House yesterday : A Bill to extend the Revenue Laws of the United States over the territory and waters of Upper California, and to create a collection district therein. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa tives of the United States of America in Congress as sembled, that the revenue laws of the United States be, and are hereby, extended to and over the main land and waters of all that portion of territory ceded to the United States by the " treaty of peace, friendship, and limits between the United States of America and the Mexican Republic, concluded 2d day of February, 1848, heretofore designated and known as Upper California." Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, that all the ports, harbours, bays, rivers, and waters, of the main laud of the territory of Upper California shall constitute a col lection district by the name of Upper California, and a port of entry shall be, and is hereby established for said district at San Francisco, on the bay of San Francisco, and a collector of the Customs shall be appointed by the President of the United States, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, to reside at said port of entry. Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, that ports of deli very shall be, and are hereby established in the collec • tion district aforesaid, at San Diego, Monterey, and at some convenient point within the territory of the United States, to be selected by the Secretary of the Treasury, as near as may be to the junction of the rivers Gila and Collorado, at the head of the Gulf of California. And the collector of the said district of California is hereby authorised to appoint, with the approbation of the Secre tary of the Treasury, three deputy collectors, to be sta tioned at the ports of delivery aforesaid. Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, that the collector of said district shall be allowed a compensation of 1,500 dulls. per annum, and the fees and commissions allowed by law; and the said deputy-collectors shall each be al lowed a commission of 1,000 dolls. per annum, and the fees and commissions allowed by law. Sec. 5. And Le it further enacted, that, until other wise provided by law, all violations of the revenue laws of the United States committed within the district Court of Louisiana or the Supreme Court of Oregon, which Courts shall have original juris diction and may take cognizance of all cases arising under the revenue Jaws in said district of Upper California, and shall proceed therein in the same manner ar.d with the like etreet as if such case had arisen within the district or territory where the prosecution shall be brough:. ScC. G. And be it further enacted, tLat this Act shall take eact from and after the 10th day of March next. ADVICE TO YOUNG 13AREISTEES.—During the trial of a prisoner for burglary, last week, before Baron Alderson, Air. Harrison, of Staley-bridge, was counsel for the prust cution (it tieing the first brief he bud held); and in consequence of the mode in which the Learned Gentleman examined the witnesses, his Lordship ob seri ed that he wished all his young friends would follow the advice which was given to him by the late Sir Wil- Hain Garrow. When he (Mr. Baron Alderson) first ap peared at the liar, he Old me," said his Lordship, " that no one ought ever to examine his witnesses and look at his brief at the same time. A counsel ought to know from his brief what a witness will say, and then look at a witness as he examines him, and arrange in his own mind, as the examination proceeds, the whole of the facts, so as to form a complete and connected narrative. That Learned Judge was the most exquisite examiner in-chief that ever appeared at the bar, and it was infi nitely more useful to be a good examiner-in-chief than a good cross-examiner ; the one is useful every day of the week, the other only occasionally." Mr. Overeud, who appeared for the prisoner, said, "I don't think it would be useful to eroLs•examine now, my Lord," to which his Lordship replied, " 11e defends a prisoner best who asks the fewest questions." ANTIQUITY OF ANA;6TIIETIC AGENTS IN Stanislas Julien has addressed to the Academy of Sciences a note iu reference to a substance employed in China more than a thousand years ago, about the third century of the Christian era, for the purpose of pro ducing a temporary loss of sensibility. These curious facts have been taked from the great Chinese work, entitled " Kin-I-Tong ;" or " A Compilation of Ancient and Modern Medicine," published at the commencement of the sixteenth century. It is there said:—" When Moa-Tho knew that it was ne cessary to employ acupuncturation, he used the remedy in two or three places, the moxta being applied at the same time as it was indicated by the nature of the affection which he had to treat. But if the complaint is situated in parts upon which the needle, the moxa, or liquid medicamants, cannot produce any action, for instance, in the bone, stomach, or intestines, there may be given to the patient a pre paration of hemp (mu -yo), and in a very short time he becomes so insensible, that he seems intoxicated or deprived of life. Then, according as the case may be, the operations are performed, of amputations, &c., and the cause of the malady is removed. Subsequently, the tissues are brought together by sutures, and finis ments are applied. After some days, the patient is re stored to health, without having felt, during the opera tion, the least pain." Well may we say with truth, "There is nothing new under the sun."—Medical SHEEP PARMING.—The yearly returns of sheep stock on the west coast of Scotland shows an alarming deficiency over and above the average loss, and the con tingencies accounted for by the various flockmasters "dead books," &c. One gentleman finds an unaccount able loss of 200 wedders ; another, twice that number; and Mr. Peter Mitchell, of Attadale, estimates that he has lost on Attadale estate alone, within the last ten years, beyond tbhe average of casual losses, 1,200 head of sheep. It is said that the Ross-shire genth men mean, if posstb!e, to have a rural police established in the county to deter parties from stealing stock of this de scription, as their suspicions that such a practice exists to an incredible extent are rather strongly grounded. Sheep stock is likely to realise good sales this season, and the demand for laid wool has increased very mate rially within the last week.—lnverness Courier. . _ FINANCIAL REFORM.—A meeting of the Sheffield Financial Reform Society was held iii the Town-hall on Tuesday evening, commencing at seven o'clock, in sup port of Mr. Cobden's efforts to obtain a reduction in the national expenditure. The attendance during the early part of the meeting was not numerous; but the assembly was gradually augmented till ultimately there was a lull house. Richard Solly, Esq., one of the vice-presidents of the society, presided. Several excellent speeches were made on the occasion, and resolutions in accordance with the views of the meeting were carried unanimously. A petition to the House ot Commons was agreed to. 11AWICK.—SACRILEGE.— On the afternoon of Sab• bath last, and during Divine service, the East Bauk Church vestry was entered by means of false keys, and nearly all the collection intended to defray sacramental expenses carried off.—Edinhurgh Advertiser. ROYAL SAPPERS AND MINERS.—Four non•com m:ssion‘d officers and twenty-seven privates of the sixth company of this branch of the ordnance corps have re ceived orders to embark at Woolwich on Monday next, April 2, in the Edward Dart freight-ship, for a passage to New Zealand. They will proceed under the coal• mend of Lieutenant Liddell, Royal Engineers. ROYAL ARTILLERY, W OO LWICH, MARCH 28. Lieutenant-C o l one l H ar rison, commanding officer of the Royal artillery at Chaiham and the Medway district, passed a medical board yesterday at Woolwich, and will retire next month from the service cit full pay. Bras Tor. AND BIRMINGHAM RAILWAY..— The strengthening of the permanent way of this lino from Gloucester to Birmingham has been completed to an extent of sixteen miles. The rails are of a weight of 841 b. to the yard, where before they were only 401 h. ADELPHI THEATRE. After the successful drama of The Hop Pickers, a new and original farce was produced under the title of Who lives at No. 9? The story turns upon the prying curiosity of Mr. Deeply Dive (Wright), an eccentric and remarkably silly gentleman, who lodges, with his wife (Miss Ellen Chaplin), at a certain No. 9, and happens to overhear some details of a love story, which has evident relation to a person residing in the same house. He forthwith sets about a close examination of facts, with the intention of finding out to which of his fellow lodgers the tale refers, cross-questioning the servant, the lodgers themselves, and even the visitors, whom he stops in the street, but without eliciting the desired iufcrmation. The real heroine of the mystery is his own wife, which, had Mr. Deeply Dive been given to dive less deeply, he could hardly fail to have dis covered at once. He is so thoroughly absorbed, how ever, with his profound research, that he overlooks facts which are close under his eyes, and suspecting every party but the sight one, becomes the bearer of a billet doux addressed to his wile by her former lover. The audience, almost from the beginning, are acquainted with the absolute state of the case, but Dive is kept in darkness, until the fall of the curtain behind him unexpectedly cuts short investigation, at a very critical moment. Out of this arises the tag, an address to the audience in which Mr. Wright complains of so sudden an interruption to his inquiries, absolving himself from all blame in the matter, when he is again arrested by the descent of another cur tain, which hides him altogether from the spectators. The acting of Wright was inimitably quiet and humour ous; Liston himself could not have been more stolidly unsophisticated ; every point told, and the roars of laughter were incestant. The main interest, of course, rests with the mystification of Mr. Dive, but a lady in the second floor, violently addicted to grouse, an an.. dent dame in the parlours who has a quarrel every day with the milkman (exceedingly well acted by Mrs. Lewes), and a mysterious gentleman with a cloak and mustachioes, are vastly amusing personages, and are ingeniously mix, d up with the anxieties of the hero. The catastrophe is quite new, and as amusing as it is unanticipated. The farce, which scarcely exceeds three quarters of an hour in performance, was completely successful, and Mr. Wright's brief requt st for leave to present it every night until further notice was received with unmingled approbation. LYCEUM THEATRE. The Water Party, written by Mr. Charles Dance, was ono of the first pieces produced at Madame Vestris's theatre for the purpose of including nearly the whole force of a company. A pic-nic party on the Thames, with all its troubles and pleasures, was found to answer the purpose of collecting a variety of characters together, 'And of placing them in ludicrous situations—a double love story being invented to give the incidents the con sistency of a plot. In the old days of the Olympic the good. natured master of the ceremonies was acted by Mr. Liston, and the gay uneducated Mrs. Deputy Butts by Mrs. Urger. But though these excellent performers have quitted the stage, the vitality of the piece is not gone. Mr. Harley, in its revival last night, played Liston's character with infinite bustle and eccentricity, and Mrs. Yates gave force and point to a snore subdued version of Mrs. Butts. The other characters were all excellently played, and the laughter of the audience was sustained throughout. OL YMPIC THEATRE. Last evening Miss Gilbert (professor and teacher of dancing) took her annual benefit at this theatre. The pieces, which were well selected, consisted of The Ray Pickers of Paris, Cousin Cherry, and A Lover by Proxy. In the course of the evening the whole of this lady's outhful corps appeared, and executed some very grace ful dancing, whicn did credit alike to the preceptor and the pupils. Miss Gilbert and her principal pupil, Miss Louisa Coleman, of her Majesty's Theatre, appeared in a new and very prettily arranged polka, which was beau tifully executed and much applauded. Miss 0. Sharp, Mises Lovell and Smith, also acquitted themselves ad mirably. The house was well attended. THE LONDON WEDNESDAY CONCERTS. The nineteenth of these delightful musical reunions took place last evening, at Exeter Hall, which was. as is usual on these occasiors, filled to overflowing. The vocal performers were Mdlle. Nissen; • Alisses Birch, Poole, Nelson, and Messent, and Mrs. A. Newton, and Messrs. Lefil-r, Lawler, T. Williams, Binge, and Sims Reeves. Mdlle. Nissen trade a decided hit last night. She sang the opening cavatina of "Lucia," from the opera of Lucia de Lammermoor, in the most brilliant style, and was equally successful in the beautiful Tyrolean, from Belly, which Alboni made so popular last year. Sims Reeves sang a new song, " Sweeter vows were never spoken," the words by Shirley Brooks, the music by Angelina. It is an exquisite composition, and Sims Reeves did full justice to it. It cannot fail to become popular. Sims Reeves also gave the " Fra poco" as he done can give it. He was encored in almost everyt hin g he sung. Thalberg gave two grand fantasias for the pianoforte—the first from ill asaniello, and the second from Norma, and Mr.Viotti Collins performed two solos on the violin, in which he proved himself a perfect master of the instrument. His " Carnival de Venice " was a master-piece of execution. COURT CI RC ULAR. Lord John Russell had an audience of the Queen yes terday, at Buckingham Palace. Her Majesty the Queen of the Belgians, attended by the Countess d'Hulst and Major de Moerkerke, visited the Queen yesterdaY. Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent also visited her Majesty yesterday, at Bucking ham Palace. Their Royal Highnesses the Prince of Wales, Prince Alfred, the Princess Royal, the Princess Alice, and the Princess Helena, took pony and walking exercise yes terday. The Queen had a dinner party yesterday. The com pany included her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent, the Margais of Northampton, Lady Augusta Bruce, Baroness de Speth, the Earl and Countess of Clarendon, the Earl and Countess of Harrowby, Lord Ashburton, the Right Hon. Sir James and Lady Graham, the Right Hon. William Sebright Lascellos, Sir Charles Lyell, Admiral Bowles, and Mr. G. E. Anson. The band of the Ist Regiment of Life Guards was in attendance in Buckingham Palace during dinner, and performed the following pieces:— March from Illaritanu Overture Figaro Potpourri // Turcredi . ... Rossini (as arranged by J. Waddell) The Forbes Polka MS. Walzer Her Majesty and his Royal Highness Prince Albert did Sir George Hayter the honour to inspect his last two sacred historical pictures at the Palace, on Tuesday. Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent visited her Majesty the Queen Dowager yesterday, at Marlborough House. Sir E. Macnaghten, Mr. Alexander, and Mr. M‘Neile had an interview with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on Tuesday at his official residence in Donning-street. A deputation from St. Giles's Paving Board, consisting of Mr. Waring, Mr. Moore, Mr. Williams, Mr. Finals, and Mr. Birch, had an interview with the Earl of Car lisle yesterday, at the office of her Majesty's Commis sioners of Woods and Forests, Whitehall-place. The Chairman of the Customs had an interview yes terday with the Chancellor of the Exchequer. The Postmaster-General had also an interview with the Right Honourable Baronet. Mr. Francis Codd, Secretary of the Chamber of Com merce, Dublin, accompanied by Mr. Reynolds, M.P., had an interview with the Chancellor of the Exchequer yes terday, on the subject of the soap duties. WINTERHALTER'S ROYAL FAMILY PICTURE.— The celebrated picture, by Winterhalter, of her Majesty and Prince Albert, surrounded by the Royal Family, the original of which, by the same artist, was lately ex hibited to the public at St. James's Palace, is now, by permission, on view, for a few days only, by gratuitous tickets, at Mr. J. B. Brown's Library, Windsor. This is the most interesting picture ever painted of the Ro) al Family. ller Majesty and the Prince, in evening dresses, are seated in their dram inn-room in chairs of state, surrounded by their lovely and interesting chil dren; the likenesses are admirable, the grouping mas terly, and the colouring brilliant. Apart from its being a picture of national int,-rest, it is a beautiful portraiture of domestic happiness,which every true Englishman must feel proud in possessing. PRESENT TO THE 79TH HIGHLANDERS. - The Prince Deruitioff has sent to this country, for transmis sion to Canada, a case of silver plate, as a present from him to the offiurs of the 79th Ilighlauders, which regi ment is now stationed in that colony. STATE OF THE WEAVING TRADE AT PERTH, &C.— We are glad to see that alter nearly a year and a half of almost unprecedented dulness in this branch of trade, symptoms of amendment aro making their appearance. For the last two or three weeks the supplies of work from Glasgow have been considerable, and we believe it may be safely said that at present no weaver willing to wortsneed be idle.—Perth Constitutional. THE ARMY. PORTSMOUTH, MARCH 27.—The remains of the late Town-Major White, of this garrison, were interred this morning about twelve o'clock, in the Garrison Chapel yard. The following was the officially given order of the procession :—A tiring party of the 77th Regiment, 3 officers end 100 men, the band of the same regiment playing the " Dead March in Saul ;" the undertaker, Mr. Hate); the Garrison Chaplain; the Medical Stall' of the Garrison, and Mr. Rolph, private practitioner ; the corpse, the pall bearing the sword, epaulettes, spurs, &c., of the deceased, and borne by ono Captain of Royal Artillery, one Captain of the 91st, One Captain of the Royal Marines, and one Captain of the 77th Regiment; the caparisoned horse of the deceased. Chief Mourners — Major White (31st Regiment), Mr. White, Colonel Eve rard, Colonel Basden, Major Travers, Captain Elliott, and Captain Curtin; 100 men of the 91st Foot, 100 of the 77th, 100 of the Royal Marines and Royal Marine Artillery, 50 of the Royal Artillery, and 50 of the Sappers and Miners, all four abreast ; the non-commis sioned officers of the above corps, four abreast ; the *Mears of the army and navy, the junior ranks in front, four abreast. Colonelst.Amonkisetnztihe i.m es,laitter., K ff.; were Colonel Lewis, R.E., c. rard, K.C.B. ; Lieut.-Col one l H au l ta in, 1t591A.° ; n eEe Lieut.- e u v t. Colonel Wilson, 77th Lieut.-Colonel Campbell, Olaf ; Lieut.-Colonel D. A. Gibsone, R.M.A. ; Lieut.-Colonel Ballingall, R.M.; Lieut.-Colonel Mercer, R.M. ; Major Lester, &e. Three rounds were fired over the grave as usual. The whole arrangements were of a solemn and imposing character, and were under the superintendence of Lieutenant O'Brien, Acting Town-Major, 77th Re giment, assisted by Garrison Sergeant-Major Davern. The shops of the town in the line of the procession were mostly shut. KILKENNY, MARCH 28.--The 75th Regiment is now leaving our city for Cork, from which they sail for Cal cutta, their final destination being the battle-ground of the east. Six vessels have been taken up for their con veyance to India, and are to sail, the Queen of England on the 25th April, Baron of Renfrew Ist May, Mary 2d May, Madagascar sth May, Duke of Argyle same day, and Nile also on the same day. The first division of the regiment marched from here yesterday, under the com mand of Captain Knowlys; another division will march to-morrow under command of Major Jardine ; and the head-quarters, with Major Delaney, will leave on Friday. Captain Ramsay has sent in his papers to sell. Captain George will succeed to the paymastership of the 4th Light Dragoons, vice Dalbiac. .Captain Hotham, on the embarkation of the regiment, will have the command of the Depot Company. Lieutenant Hill succeeds Captain Ramsay, and Captain Cox, late of the regiment, steps into the vacancy occasioned by Captain George's ex change. Lieutenant Godwyn gets the augmentation company. Surgeon Gray is compelled to leave from ill health. PENINSULAR MAILS. SOUTHAMPTJN, Mann 28.—The Peninsular and Orient-I Company's steam-ship Ripon, Captain Moresby, arrived this morning, bringing the heavy portion of the Indian mail. Her dates of sailing were—Alexandria, March 10; Malta, March 15; and Gibraltar, March 21. The Ripon experienced strong north-easterly winds crossing the Bay, which detained her twenty-four hours. She has brought home sixty-three first-class passengers, twenty-one second-class, and thirteen children. Amongst them are—General Sir E. 11. Williams, lately commanding a division in the Madras Peesidency; Col. Young, her Majesty's 25th Regiment, and Captain Lind sell, of the same ; Colonel Worrall, Honourable East India Company's cavalry ; Mrs. and Miss Cureton, Mrs. Montizambert, and Colonel Richmond, late Presi dent at Lucknow, &c. The Ripon has on freight 107 packages of specie, valued at 35,000/., and a valuable cargo of merchandize, consisting of 93 bales of silk, 34 cases tusks 30 cases dates, 13 eases poppies, 25 boxes oranges, and 50 packages of sundries. Her Majesty's steam-ship Janus was at Gibraltar. On the 20th March, 120 miles north of Gibraltar, took from a Greek brig Captain nePhail and the crew (13 in number) of the British barque Town of Drogheda, which vessel they had abandoned, having broken her rudder. She was afloat with the Greek brig lying by her, when the Ripon received her crew. It had been blowing very strong from the westward for two days previously. INSTITUTION OF CIVIL ENGINEERS. On Tuesday, March 27, William Cubbit, Esq., Vice- President, in the chair, The paper read was a " Description of the Groynes formed on the South Rocks, the site of the new docks at Sunderland," by Mr. W. Browne, Assoc. Inst. C. E. These groynes have been eructed for the purpose of re taining the deposited materials excavated from the new docks, and of arresting the sand and shingle which na turally travel southward, in order to form a barrier beach, that should effectually exclude the sea from be yond a given line. The three first, whose lengths va ried from 326 feet to 358 f( et, were erected at a height above ordinary high-water mark of 2 feet six inches and 10 feet at the seaward and inner ends respectively. The exterior was composed of ashlar work ; the interior partly of the excavated magnesian limestone, and partly of rubble set in mortar; the batter of the north sides was two and a half inches to a foot, that of the north sides one to one, and the crest was formed into an arch, with a radius of 8 feet 6 inches. The four other groynes werb constructed of a different form, in consequence of those first erected not retaining the deposited excavation, and accumulating other materials as was desirable, and from their having been injured by the sea, during a heavy storm, which occurred at the time of the equinoctial tides, during the spring of 1848, when a breach was made in the first and third groynes, and at the same time some of the stones in the second groyne were loosened; these effects were produced at about the same point in each, namely, the intersection of the inclination of the groyne with the line of ordinary high water mark; and it was found, from observation, that the mo mentum of the waves was greatest at or about the time of high water. The sides of these groynes were semi cycloidal, each being generated by a circle of 12 _ feet 9 inches in diameter, a nd uniting at the apex; the sea war d and inner ends are re spectively 7 teet and 10 feet above ordinary high water mark, and their lengths varied from 510 feet to 579 feet; the foundations of these groynes consisted of a course of freestone, laid at an average depth of 2 feet below the surface; the sides were also of coursed freestone, set header and stretcher alternately, and the hearting o f large sized rubble, cl ose ly packed, the vacancies between it and the ashlar work being filled with small stones set in Roman cement, so as to ensure a solid bed; at a depth of 6 feet below the crest of the groyne, and resting upon the rubble hearting, cour,ed ashlar was introduced, and carried as near to the crest as possible, the vacancy being filled with small rubble and Roman cement. The construction of these groynes commenced at the seaward point, and they were placed_ at distances of from 350 to 450 feet apart; the quantity of material ex cavated and deposited between them was stated to amount already to 730,000 cubic yards; it consisted partly of hard blue clay and partly of manly rock or soft magnesian limestone, and the barrier beach formed by them had completely withstood all the gales which occurred during the winters of 1847.8, and 1848-9. Some very interesting information was given as to the action of the titles in the Wear, and the reasons for the construction of the new docks, which were stated to promise to be of immense importance to the trade of that port. During the discussion, Mr. Murray explained very clearly his views in the design for the docks, and for the direction of the groynes, and the various works in the harbour for arresting the waves in their progress up the river. This investigation of this subject elicited some very interesting remarks as to the action of waves strik ing walls and groynes at various angles, when instead of being entirely reflected they were in part retained and guided along the face. This was a peculiarity which, it was stated, should be taken advantage of in hydraulic works. _ _ This discussion was announced to be renewed next Tuesday, April ad, when a pape r "On the Obstructions to Navigation in Tidal Rivers, ' by Mr. J. T. Harrison, M. Inst. C. E., will be read. REPRIEVE CY SEEEPWASII, CONVICTED OP MURDER. —The Governor of M a idstone gaol has received an order for the reprieve of the convict Sheepwash, found guilty, with Miller, of the murder of an old man at B e th ers d en , from whom they took Is. 6d., his trousers, a n d s ome sausages. The respective ag es of the prisoners are 16 and 17, Sheepwash being the younger . s Great e xer ti ons have been made by the people et Maidstone and vicinity in favour of Sheepwash, on account of former character and other circumstances, which have been laid before the Secretary of State for the Home Department . Th e exe cution of the other prisoner is to be carried into effect this day, in front of the county gaol. DARING B U RGLARY.—Yesterd ay at the I3rentford Petty Sessions, John Turnbull al i as George Norman, a powerful-looking fellow, was finally examined before the bench of magistrates, on a charge of h av i ng bur gloriously entered the premises of Lady Neville, the widow of Sir George Nevilte, Bart., at Great Marlow, Bucks. From the evidence gone into it appeared that the prisoner was stopped, on the evening of Tuesday, the 19th instant, with a large packet on his shoulder, by a policeman of the T on duty at Hounslow ' when he stated that it was his own property, th at hi s name was George Norman, and that he wa s on hi s way to town. On Tee packet being examined, it was found to contain a large quantity of valuable damask napkins, table cloths, and fine linen sheets, and all marked w i t h a ' crest, and the initial letters `‘ G. N.," and h e was con sequently remanded for inquiries to be made. Yester day the cook and a housemaid of Lady N eville ' s establishment attended and identified the whole of the property as belonging to her Ladyship, and dep ose d that on the night of ,the 16th instant the premises were burglariouely entered, and the above articles stolen. The chief constable of Great Marlow also deposed, th a t on the morning of the 19th, he met the prisoner with the packet on his shoulder, but not having heard of the robbery at the time, he did not stop him, or make any inquiry as to what he had got or how he came possessed of it. The prisoner was fully committed for trial. GRETRY. At this moment, when this French composer's opera, Richard Cceur de Lion, is being performed with con siderable applause at the Opera Comique, St. James's Theatre, the following particulars of a very extraordinary occurrence will doubtless prove highly interesting:— Gretry just before his death bequeathed his heart to his native city, Liege. His nephew, M. Flamand Gletry, however, never executed this will of his uncle, and after an extraordinary exertion of patience, the good citizens of Liege, from whose recollection this bequest had not for an instant been erased, and who had long sighed, but in vain, for the heart of their dear townsman, actually brought their claim into a court of law. M. Flamand Gretry pleaded that, on his uncle's demise, he had desired .the authorities of Liege to send for the heart which he had carefully preserved, but that, as they, devoid of that refinement of, feeling which dis tinguishes true Frenchmen, bad desired him to forward to them the noble remains of his deceased relative by stage coach, carriage paid, such reply naturally filled him (M. Flamand) with inappeasable wrath, and, vowing that the Liegois should never benefit by his illustrious uncle's will, he had deposited the bequest in an urn in the garden of the Hermitage de Jean Jacques Rousseau, at Montmorenci, which had become the property of the departed composer. The case was heard and decided in one court, the decision appealed against in a higher, re ferred to a third, and so on, the lawyers profiting amazingly (as they always take care to do, and nowhere, perhaps, so much as in France) by the dispute ; while numbers of the composer's admirers—nay, many of those who had most esteemed and loved him—declared that whatever it might have been when it inhabited its mortal tenement and throbbed with the sorrows and anxieties, or bounded beneath the exultation and joys of life, was not then in its right place. At length, in 1823, ten years after the commencement of this struggle, the Cour Royale gave judgment in favour of Liege, and on the 19th July, 1828—five years more haring elapsed, the decree was carried into execution. M. le Maire of Montmorenci, accompanied by MM. the Chevaliers Re gault de Rochefort and Ausesu, Commissaires deputed expressly on the occasion by the Corporation of Liege, M. Guery, their Avocet, and Dr. Sauberville, who had embalmed the heart, proceeded to the Hermitage of J. J. Rousseau for the purpose of exhuming the precious relic. The cure of Montmorenci was also present, and took part in the ceremony by reciting a prayer and by afterwards sprinkling the heart, or rather the box which contained it, with holy water. This box, which was manufactured from lead, and iu the shape of a heart, with all its veins and arteries exposed, was, after a careful examination by Dr. Sauberville and by the workmen who had been em ployed to place it in the garden, in order to ascertain its identity, and the fact of its never having been opened or disturbed, bound round with a riband, the two ends of which were sealed with the seals of the Maire of Mont ' neorenci, of the Commissaires of Liege, and of the arms of that city, surmounted by a mural crown. The box and its valuable contents was then placed in a second case, prepared for the purpose, and delivered to the Commissaires of Liege who, on their departure, left with the cure a sum of 100 f. to be distributed among the poor of Montmorenci. The reception of the heart of thetry by the inhabitants of Liege was memorable, and was accompanied by solemnities whi:h were ter minated by a concert given in the theatre. A cantata, written on the occasion by M. to Fontaine, and set to music by M. Daussaigne together, with an overture b; a young composer, M. Jasper, were much admired. A fortunate accident brought to this fete the then alread; famous composer Meyerbeer. The moment he was recognised every one wished to show him some token of respect, and his lively, melodious overture to La Fausse Agnes was immediately performed with us much spirit as taste. He returned his thanks to the orchestra through one of the Commissaires for the flattering tribute and attention shown to him, and subscribed liberally towards the erection of a monument to the memory of the com poser of Richard Cccur de Lion and the author of one of the soundest and best essays on the theory and principles of the Art extant. TURKISH MUSICAL GOUT. I remember reading in the work of some modern tra veller the following amusing anecdote:—The orchestra of an English ambassador at Constantinople was per. forming a grand concert for the entertainment—pity not for the enlightenment—of the august Sultan and his Court: at its conclusion the Kalif was requested to spe cify which of the pieces he preferred. '• The first!" was the reply, which was accordingly recommenced by the band, but stopped incontinently, as not being the correct one. Others were tried with as little success, till the orchestra, having played the whole selection over again, was almost in despair of finding the favourite air. In this state of uncertainty, and while they awaited further commands, the performers began tuning their instru ments, when his Highness exclaimed instantly, with every manifestation of delight, " Inshallah Heaven be praised, that is it!" THE ORIGIN OF MUSIC. At the commencement of the seventeenth century a very curious work in quarto was published at Leyden by Guillaume Irttoy, entitled " Conjectanea in Psalmonum Titulos," the object of which sought to evidence that music did not originate with the Greeks, but was invented by the Chaldceans or llebrews, from whom the Pytha goreans acquired the knowledge of the science, and also that from them are derived the most ancient names of musical instruments—a superstitious idea, as the ma terials and principle of music was of coequal birth with nature herself, so their employment in the production of melodic sound was devised by the earliest race of man. WEBER. At one time there was considerable fear that the genius of the immortal composer of .Euryanthe, Oberon, and the Freischutze would be lost to the cause of music. About the year 1807 his youthful and aspiring mind caught the idea of advancing the art of lithography, in the machinery of which he conceived he had discovered an important improvement. To prosecute his design more extensively he proceeded with his father to Fried burg, in Saxony, where the materials for his object were very abundant, but the necessary prolixity and merely mechanical and spiritless details of the business assimi lated so little to the romantic vivacity and ardour of his temperament and the activity of his genius, that he soon grew sick of and quitted his new pursuit, and returned with redoubled eagerness and delight to the study and exercise of that science which had engaged his earliest affection, and in which he afterward proved one of the greatest apostles. But the gift of genius, whether to a poet or a musician, is not a paradise, and the high souled Weber is an instance of one who might well ex claim— Ye visions of delight! aerial dreams That o'er my heart descend! why mock ye so My proud ambitious Spirit, when ye know How, with deceit, your every promise teems? • Illusory as summer mists on streams; And, as the viewless home whence the wicds blow, Intangible! Oh why is credulous man So duped be ye?—that every action, thought With or a joy or saddened tone is fraught, E'en as ye cheat his senses—for the han Of disappointed Hope pangs for a time Till the quick Spirit, bursting from the chain, Seeks, in its idle Dreamland, once again The unaccomplisbed promise of it s p r i me !" (c. J. O. A.) lIANDEL. In ono of my previous " Memoranda" I recorded a little incident relating to Dr. Morel!, who, as I have said, supplied Handel with the libretto of his oratorios. Although they were the best of friends, the Doctor once had very nearly offended the erascible German beyond hope of forgiveness. It was thus on ono occasion the former took the liberty to suggest to Handel in the most deferential manner that the music he had set to some lines was ill adapted thereto and quite opposite to their meaning. Instead of accepting th is friendly hint from ono who, though no Pinder, was neve rtheless a better judge of poetry than the musician, in a like spirit, Handel became highly indignan t, looking upon the advice as insulting to his talents, and finally cried out with all the violence of affronted amour propre," Vaatl you teach me moosik? Do moosik be good moosik! Dom your words. 1 here (running his fingers over his harpsichord), here be my idea, go you make vord to de.atl" M. STRAUSS.—This eminent, and prolific waltz composer will arrive in London the third wcck in ,April, his band of thirty-two performers. I V.) 'loser s per 25 ; 9s to 41; I 1 124 nand. letive terial MOD, Gd to kinds )d to 3 4d; s, 18t llilch s hut d for from and ostly as in Mon, ?ork, was from NI to :ling i 3 to 0 181 of t'.:• Walto ZAG. s Gd Y.) light mes. Re ; vs, nge, 70, Sid. and rtta, iag- 70, ass, ,D3O, and ;yd for am; net, ,nos red, , a ,.., 001, teal dr, ief l er is-_