The Sun. — London, England, 1861-06-22 00:00:00

Ili:, EA lit i'AL, AY M La3SCC, Mr. J. B. Buckstone. TTIIS EVENINI;, the r,erforraances will comnonce with the Comedy of THE OVERLAND ROUTE. Messrs. Chas. Mathews, Buckstone, E. Villiers, Rogers, &c.; Mrs. Wilkins, Mrs. C. Mathews, and Miss E. Weekes. Followad by THE ADVENTURES OF A LOVE LETTER. tar. and Mrs. C. Mathews. And THE, GALICIAN FETE. Commence at 7. Y A 1", PRINCES S'S TREATRE.- I 1) L Lessee and Mana..rer, Mr. A. Harris. THIS EVENING, WERNER. Mr. Phelps, Mr. Ryder, Mr. E. Phelps, Miss Atkinson, Miss R. Leclercq, After which, a new comic drama, called A HOMESTEAD STORY, Messrs. Ryder, Shore, and :Hiss M. Harris. To conclude with A.S.S. Mr. F, Matthews, Mr. Cathcart, Miss R. Leclercq, Jtc. EW THRATRE-ROYAL. ADELPHI.- 1.1 Sole Proprietor and Manager. Mr. B. Webster. Reproduction of "The Colleen Bawn. " The Adelphi "Census " every Evening. THIS EVENING, the successful new Farce, entitled A TURKISH BATH. Mr. J. L. Toole. Mr. P. Bedford. After which (213th tlme), THE COLLEEN BAWN. Mr. D. lioucicault, 1). risher, Billinzton, Falconer, Stephenson, 'C. J. Smith, Berner, Howard, Ward ' • Mrs. Boucicault, Miss Woolar, Mrs. Billinzton, and Mrs. Chatterley. To be followed by a new apropos Sketch, THE CENSUS. Messrs. J. c,. Toole, Eburne, Romer, C. J. Smith ; Miss IClzte Kelly, Miss E. Chornc, and Mrs. Chatterley. Doors open at hall past 6—Commence at T. CANTERBURY-HALL CONCERTS AND FINE ARTS GALLERY. EVERY EVENING, Two Grand Selections from celebrated Operas, including Verdi's new Opera. THE BAL MASQUE (first produced in England at this Establishment), with a Chorus of Forty Voices, and upon a scale unequalled at any other Concerts. 31 iss Russell, Miss Ernst, Mr. Greville, Mr. Herbert, Signor Tivoli, Mr. Bernard ; popular Solos on the Cornet-a-Piston, by Mr. Levy (the first performer of the dayT; the Brothers Conrad (in an entirely original entertainment on the double rope, not to be seen elsewhere); continued success of Mr. Wood and his talented little Son. The Comic Department comprises the following favourites: —Mr. Marshall, Mr. Hollingsworth ; the NERVES, by Messrs. Harvey and Fr=ench ; and Mrs. Lawrence. Musical Director, Mr. JONGHMANS. THE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, JUNE 22, vlB6l. T H E oXFORD, 6, OXFORD-STREET. This noble building being now complete 1, its architectural beauty, elegance of ornamentation, and brilliancy of lighting render it one of the sights of the metropolis. Open Every Evening,. The programme is varied, and includes Selections (by a full company of principals, powerful band, and chorus) from " Macbeth" and "Un Ballo in Maschera." both operas by Verdi, the composer of the day—The wonderful Solos on the Cornet-a-Piston of the renowned LEVY—Scotch Duets by the Misses Stuart, and other vocal and instrumental music of the highest order. Conductor, Mr. F. Jonghmans. he Comic portion of the entertainment is supported by MTiss (4 men, Messrs. Sam Collins, Harvey, and French (the Nerves), W. H. Wieland, E. Marshall. and W. Randall. Admission, sixpense ; Balcony and Stalls, one shilling. rriVatC Boxes, 10s. 6d. HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE. THIS am—Morning, lh. 34m.—Afternoon, lh. 38m. To-MORROW. -Morning, 2h. sm.—Afternoon, 2h. 30m. TI 1 WEATHER.—SuN OFFICE, JUNE 22, THEILMOMETER, IN THE SHADE!. 72 —highest since noon yesterday. 63—lowest this morning and during the night. 74—this day at noon. BAROMETER-29.90. WlND—South . Westerly ; light, with rather dull weather. 2, .T , , I,'. ,' lc - . t,TGJI:p., 4, k , q• \\Cl it ...-.' -'.."''' ''(-a ~.. Q.:1:5:::--) _,.;..... - ,,,.,7,.#....,L,, , r,. . 0.... _, f,--_-. , ..1-- ;r 41, ~,,,,,,, • ~-,. - , -:i.„...,,,,, 0 _. , _ - _,..,` ,. V,_ /2 / /.. i ,'";,-"s3r-r-,-.- f ~ ' ~""_` w _~, THE SUN. ~~ LONDON, SATURDAY, JUNE 22, 186 L: Sir MORTON PET° has at length drawn from the Government a full explanation of its views in regard to the forts at Spithead. The Premier retains his opinion in favour of constructing them, and it would be uncandid not to confess that he showed a strong case in their favour. If by no means convinced that Captain COLE has not quite as strong a case for ships versus forts, it is not easy to deny that when military and naval men of the highest authority press opposite opinions on the Government, the latter may well hesitate to adopt exclusively the views of either. Then there is a real difficulty not to be over leaped at a venture, in the simple fact that genius will not cease to invent. It lies dormant, as that of the rustics of whom GRAY sung, till the occasion furnishes the spark, when forth it comes to the reversal of all old conceptions and plans. It is astonishing what the Russian war has done in this respect. Never within the recollection of any man living has the science of military projectiles and the means of resisting them made such strides as within the last few years. It has seemed by turns as if nothing could be invulnerable ; then, ns if everything might be pierced or crushed. At the present moment the superiority of the attack appears to be again achieved by the in ventive genius of Sir Wm. ARMSTRONG, and no amount of iron mail which a ship can carry appears capable of resisting Ms 200 pounders, much less his proposed 300-pounders. We have lately heard of their smashing eight inches of iron bars, though it seems doubtful whether the best plates could be dealt with so easily. This fact, if fact it be, not known when it was proposed to place our sole reliance on a fleet of iron sides at Portsmouth, doubtless is in favour of adding the forts. They may, of course, be built of any thickness and strength, and if an iron clad vessel can no longer pass them with com parative impunity, the argument in their favour is much strengthened. They can be armed with a weight of artillery which iron-clad vessels could not carry, and the destructive range of which is enormous. We cannot, how ever, e7en if we accept Lord PAL3IERSTON'S arguments, dispense with a fleet as part of the de fence of Portsmouth. We have to protect it, not only from shot, but from shells ; and shells may be thrown from a distan ce at which the most power ful artillery in the forts could produce no impres sion on an enemy's ship. The forts may be useful in combination with ships, but we cannot rely on their keeping a hostile vessel from taking a position in which she might receive a minimum of injury her self, while causing the greatest at Portsmouth. Indeed we much fear that after all nothing but an irresis tible floating; force can make dockyards and arsenals so near the sea perfectly secure. We should not he , :nrprise 1 to find that the result of experience will requiro that destructible stores should all be removed to a safe distance from the shore, the rail and suitaYe mechanical arrangements making it quite easy t o place them on shipboard without loss of time, or 13erious extra trouble. Although the hon. member for Honiton's motion last evening; was negatived without a division—it would be impossible not to allow that there was something in it. The laughter, loud laughter, roars of laughter, shouts of laughter with which the extravagant evidences of absurdity ad duce(' in the course of Mr. COCHRANE'S speech were inter) opted —proclaim more emphatically than any majority upon a division coald possibly have done, I.he reason there is for any rational man in&isting up - m a dispassionate re-examination and a earefalrevil ion of the present preposterous system of competitive Examinations. All that Mr. COCHRANE insisted lir on arguing was, "that th e ev id ence taken befor t . the Select Committee on Civil Service Examinations proves that the system of examina tions should be modified, in neu, m order to meet the re quirements .of the public service." The member for Ifoniton further insisting in support of this motion, that the members of the Select Committee had re ported in of ,position to the evidence adduced befcne them. Aft er Mr. ITENNtssv has endeavoured to defend the conduct and the report of the select co mmittee, Mr. MoNCKTON MILNES solemnly assures the. houso that were it to agree to the motion tit= before, it, that motion would be found in the end to be tantamount to a vote of censure on the committee. Why—that—of course. Surely the very thing aimed at ! And—supposing this report to be really found, upon further scrutiny, to have been drawn up in direct opposition to the evidence adduced before the select committee—small blame to the House of Commons if it pronounced its opinion thereupon very decidedly ! But no !—com mittees of this kind are apparently supposed to enjoy a Royal immunity from blame. The King can do no wrong—is a loyal and constitutional axiom. The Commons are trying to apply it apparently to Select committees. So at least we are led to imagine by the argument brought forward yesterday against Mr. B. COCHRANE'S motion, by the zeal with which that argument was supported by the Chancellor of the Exchequer and especially by the resolute man ner in which the member for Honiton's suggestion was negatived without a division at the close of the discussion. Yet—set aside as simply vexatious though this suggestion of Mr. COCIIRANE'S has been, the outbursts of laughter with which the extracts from the examination papers were received when the various queries or theses were cited by the hon. gentleman in the course of his speech will not be very speedily, we may be quite certain of that, lost to the popular recol lection. The extravagant folly indicated by the " posers" submitted to the candidates for honours through the medium of these competitive examinations— the utter and drivelling absurdity of many of these most fantastic themes for disquisition could hardly, we conceive, by any possibility, be surpassed. Here, for example, is a little b unc h o f t h ese in quiries. Quoth some of th e l earne d pun di ts i n 1860-61, addressing themselves to the youthful candidates coming up before them for examina tion :—" Out of what other languages has the English language been formed ? What difference does the English of the Spectator present as com pared with that of the authorised version of the Bible ? What do you understand by the words a good English style ?' Give rules for writing such a style." Why the accurate definition of " a good style" might baffle the ingenuity of all the Fellows of the Royal Society rolled into one, aided and abetted in their endeavours by all the wisdom appertaining in the past and in the present to the whole ag gregate of the French Acadamicians. BUFFON has wittily said, Le style, c'est l'homme :—and remem bering that long before the age of BUFFON the old Classic Roman had averred no less truthfully or less axiomatically, Quot homines, tot sententice— we may form some fair idea of the bewildering variety of definitions of " a good style" opening up before any honest young scholiast's dazed and won der-stricken imagination ! Again—glancing down the examination papers from which Mr. COCHRANE made some of his wickedly ironical extracts in the House of Com mons, tickling even his opponents into frequent paroxysms of laughter—Does it not for all the world look, really and truly, as if some immense practical joker had filled up large portions of those official papers with the most preposterously ridiculous interrogations— " What do you understand by a ' figure of speech' in English ? Write a series of short sentences, each contain ing an example of a figure of speech." Why, it is almost irresistibly suggestive to any reasonable young competitor, to answer inquiries like that, with—how otherwise can we express it than by saying with—an unlimited amount of chaffing ! Again—here are some further exemp lars : " Give a list of English historians, characterising each of them by a single epithet." (Laughter.) " Write a short sketch of the origin of Parliaments in England, and show how their power has progressively in creased." (Laughter.) "Write a letter describing the overland route to Calcutta via Marseilles, and containing information on the natural productions of the States through which the writer is sup posed to pass, and on their commercial relations with other nations." (Laughter.) Why (said Mr. COCHRANE), that was not a question, it was a volume. " Write a short life of the Emperor NAPOLEON I." (Laughter.) Certainly—either reading or listening to inquiries like those we cannot but feel that the system of competitive examination sinks in our estimation —" And to be grave," as POPE says— " And to be grave exceeds all power of face." Mr. COCHRANE'S motion may be negatived with out a division, and be thus conveniently got rid of. But even when the objections raised by the hon. member for Honiton have been thus coolly swept aside—one is still left laughing scornfully over the ludicrous queries excerpted by him from the examination papers of the Civil Service Com mission, as well also as from the almost equally ludicrous examination papers of the Council of Military Education. llt is no want of goodwill to our American neigh bours to say that we ought not to lie at their mercy. The boundaries of our Empire, whether we wish it or not, stretch alongside theirs from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and seem likely to do so. The Canadians show, as yet, no indication of wishing either to dissolve the Imperial connection or to transfer their allegiance to their blustering neighbours south of the lakes and the St. Law rence. For aught that appears, therefore, we may for a long time to come be expected to deal with Canada, in military matters especially, as a part of the British Empire. The great colony well knows that we should never think, if she wished, in Ame rican phraseology, to "secede," of employing the means now resorted to by the Northern with the Southern States of America. We have no doubt that if separation should come it will be with the regret mingled with the hope with which parent andr the danghter part, when both feel that it is time o younger to become an independent mistress. Under these circumstances both England and Canada are bound communications hat: e d e o n i the t s u t t w m o o c s o t u t n o t r p i e e s r . fe c t the Our colony itself, we may say all our continental colonies, there C ana d a, New Brunswick, and Nova IScotia, are very desirous to do their utmost in this work of physically uniting th emselves as closely as possible with . the mother country. Th ey wish , were it practicable, to make the naturalbondas s trong as the political and social bond. So strong that it shall tend to preserve the political Uni on , and to perpetuate the social and commercial one, if ever the first were bet ter relaxed. They have made it easy for our sons and daughters who seek a British American home to travel in vari- Gus directions two thousand miles westward of Quebec, and have come forward to meet us more than a hundred miles to the east of the old capital of Canada. New Brunswick and Halifax have each also done somewhat in the same direction. These still remain, however, rather more than three hundred miles, which the colonies are not equal to without the aid of an English gua rantee. There are no engineering difficulties, but capitalists want the security of an imperial gua rantee for a minimum di - vidend of 4 per cent. on a capital of £3,000,000. As the proposal is made it seems to be a very small risk indeed. First, the colonists offer £60,000 per annum, or half the interest; next, they ask our Government to pay £60,000 a-year for the convey anc3 of mails, military stores, and troops between Halifax and Quebec. .Last/y, they offer all the ungranted lands for ten miles on both sides of the line, which can hardly fail, in no long period, amply to reimburse the imperial treasury. On these terms they will be able to provide substantial contractors to undertake the railway, and to find capitalists to advance the money. All former Governments have been favourable to the project, which has, indeed, been before suc cessive Governments ever since 1839, in the time of Lord DußnAm, " who strongly urged the con struction of the railway." The colonies have never, however, previously been able to advance so strong a claim as at present, because never previously have they by so many hundreds, indeed thousands, of miles of constructed railways made this completing one so desirable, while the estimate for guaranteed capital is now reduced by these extensions from five to three millions. One fact would appear, politically, to settle the question. For six months in the year ice prohibits our maritime and river access to Quebec. We are, for that time completely cut off, in the military sense, from Our colony; we are completely at the mercy of the touchy citizens and Government of the United States, one of whose juvenile weaknesses is to find a marvellous pleasure in being as uncivil as they can to all older nations, and to England in particular. This is certainly anything but an imaginary consideration. The promoters of the railway observe :—" As illustrative of the extraor dinary position in which we are placed in regard to our communication with Canada, we may state that during the Crimean campaign it was considered desirable to move some of our troops and stores from Canada to the seat of war ; the winter had closed the navigation of the great highway ; the United States Government were neutrals, and refused to allow either men or stores to pass through their territory for embarcation ; and at enormous trouble and expense they were brought by sledges through British territory to Halifax." We have, indeed, official authority for the political importance of the Railway. In 1849 commissioners were appointed by the present Chancellor of the Exchequer to survey the line. In their report they say : " In a political and military point of view, the proposed railway must be regarded as becoming a work of necessity. The increasing population and wealth of the United States, and the diffusion of railways over their territory, especially in the direction of the Canadian frontier, renders it abso lutely necessary to counterbalance by some corresponding means their otherwise preponderating power. Their rail way communication will enable them to select their own time and their own point of attack, and will entail upon the British the necessity of being prepared at all points to meet them. It is most essential, therefore, that the mother country should be able to keep up the communication with the Canadas at all times and seasons. However powerful England may be at sea, no navy could save Canada from a land force. Its conquest and annexation are freely spoken of in the United States, even on the floors of the Congress. Weakness invites aggression, and as the railway would be a lever of power by which Great Britain could bring her strength to bear in the contest, it is not improbable that its construction would be the means of preventing a war at no distant period. The expense of one year's war would pay for a railway two or three times over." Commercially, as the line can be constructed so cheaply, there can be little doubt of its success. We need it at the present moment. So strangely uncivil are our Northern friends, that by their new tariff they detain and examine at Portland our goods which are simply in transit to Canada; so hostile to England are the new protective duties, the temptations consequently to smuggling so great, that we are told " Already there are piled up in the warehouses and on the quays of Portland immense quantities of British goods consigned to Canada, which have not yet been suffered to bo forwarded to their destination, as, under the new American tariff, every package of goods is required to be opened and examined before being allowed to pass over the protected soil of the Northern States." We are gratified, therefore, to learn that at the recent interview of the Deputation with the Duke of NEWCASTLE at the Coional Office, his grace expressed his entire concurrence in the pro posed railway, and intimated that, if responsible parties came forward to carry out the work, he would endeavour to induce his colleagues to agree to aid any feasible plan for that purpose. The House of Commons had but very recently under its consideration that delicate question in regard to the Volunteer Movement—" Who shall pay the Piper ?" And the House, after mature consideration, decided most wisely that the piper should yet continue to be paid by the Volunteers themselves. Upon reflection, none can have re joiced more hearti:y in that decision than our Rifle men. For, supposing the Commons to have come to a different conclusion upon the matter, the glory of the volunteer movement would have passed away ipso facto, and inevitably have faded out instanter. The fact being, of course, that the dis tinguishing merit and peculiarity of this movement cannot be better intimated than by saying that it has been from first to last, that it still is, that so long as it lasts it must ever continue to be— spontaneous and self-supporting. The Volunteers, in truth, arrogate to themselves no invidious dis tinction, in contrast with the Royal Navy and the QUEEN'S Army, by claiming for themselves par excellence, and for themselves alone, the title of THE VOLUNTEERS. To a certain extent, of course, every red coat and every blue jacket in Her MA JESTY'S Service is also, in his turn, a volunteer. In a general way, the Right Hon. JONATHAN PEEL only gave utterance to the simple statement of an obvious fact when he remarked that all the branches of the War Department alike are com posed of volunteers, and of none but volunteers. Yet, while this is said with a certain sense of exultation, it must be borne also in recollec tion that the soldiers and sailors enrolled under the banner of the SOVEREIGN are alike paid in hard cash out of the Exchequer for services ren dered to tlie Crown. Not so our Volunteer Rifle men. They, it will be remembered, from the outset of their career, have volunteered their services to the Crown and the country in the I . fullest sense of the word — looking for no remu neration whatever save the sense that they are doing their duty by both, by the Crown and also by the country, in thi it character as patriotic Englishmen. Insomuch is all this the case with the Volunteers—hence, indeed, as we all know, their title as VOLUNTEERS—that however, they to the sole res p onse o f a practical kind vouchsafed to the movement by the Government has been the presentation nevereach hvaovluenhteaedr—opfaya they never Pay will have — or , Pay, e however, nst ant to wbaes r no what longer thg,yeceiving it, they cease upon the i OnWednesday,d o wn atW are. e WhoQr e shall pay the Piper ? stminster, the question, It was rather, Who shall receive •the Pipes ? And the London Scottish Rifle Volunteer s were the re cipients of the honour down in that grand old Hall where so many of our Kings have held their revels on their Coronation Day. Six sets of pipes, and together with them a banner, costing altogether a I hundredpoun ds,leavingup wards of a hundred pound s additional to be handed over to the bard fund o f the corps, have been the result of the subscription made to this end very recently among the Scottish ladies resident in the metropolis. Bugles have often before now been given by ladies to various rifle corps—one not many months back, it may be I remembered, was presented in this way by Miss 1 ANGELA. BURDETT COUTTS to a rifle corps in which that munificent lady took a particular interest — but the present is, we believe, an exceptional in cident in the rise and progress in this country of the Volunteer Movement. In presenting to the London Scottish Rifle Volunteers these charac teristic symbols of the interest taken in them by their fair countrywomen, Lady ELcHG, having remarked to those who were attentively listen ing to the gracious words that fell from her lips in making the presentation, "It is gratifying to us to present you with this na tional instrument :" added very gracefully, "We are proud of our national corps, and well pleased to add in this way to the outward marks of your nationality. The wild notes of the pipes are, lam sure "—said her ladyship, like a true Scotchwoman as she is—"dear to every Scotch heart ; they awaken pleasant memories of home and country ; they aro associated with the gallant deeds of our heroic countrymen in all parts of the world, and we are not without a hope, too, that these pipes may in some degree do the work of the recruiting sergeant, and that, attracted by their stirring sounds, many a good Scottish heart and arm may be gathered to our ranks." Referring pointedly to what it is that lends such an especial significance to the Volunteer movement, Lady ELCIIO said very admirably, " The truth is, we look upon our volunteer army as the best security for peace, and we believe that so long as the noble zeal and steady perseverance which have astonished Europe for the last two years con tinue to be shown, so long, by God's blessing, will our native land be safe from insult or attack." That, indeed, is the source of all these enthusiastic demonstrations in favour of the Volunteer Move- i ment. And a little while afterwards, when the noble lord, the Colonel of the London Scottish, had risen in order to add a few words to those already uttered by his lady-wife, he amusingly translated the earnest advice given to the corps by Lady ELCHO, he whimsically translated it thus into the plain vernacular, " That advice," he said, "in homely language, is that you will stick to it like men ; and depend upon if you do, you will not only give satisfaction to yourselves, but will perform a great national duty. It is your duty to attend your drill, so that you will be competent to perform the task you have undertaken ; it is your duty to up hold this movement into which you have so freely entered, so that you may not render yourselves a laughing-stock; and so, as Lady ELciro has so truly said, that this country may be for ever safe from every insult and attack." Advice like that, words like that, will come home to every rifleman in the land, whether they be Scotchmen marching to the sound of their bagpipes, or English Volun teers of all ranks and classes mustering to the bugle call, or tramping steadily to drill, shoulder to shoulder, to the sound of the drum and fife. His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales honoured Mr. Desanges with au inspection of the Victoiia Cross Gallery at the Egyptian Hall, yesterday. The Duke of Roxburghe and the Marquis of Bowmont have loft the Clarendon, for Norway. Viscount Bury writes to say that he was pre vented by an "unforeseen accident" from voting, as he fully intended to do, with Sir John Trelawny on Wednesday. His Highness the Prince of Santo Mauro, with the Duke and Duchess of Coriglivno and the younger branches of their family, arrived at the Brunswick Hotel, Jermyn-street, yesterday morning, from Italy. Marshal Niel, it is said, will be sent to Turin, en lnission extraordinaire, to compliment Victor Emmanuel on his recognition by France as King of Italy. The alarming news on the state of the Sultan's health is considered quite true in Paris. His illness is said to be a complication of a cancer in the stomach and a disease of the spinal marrow. Politicians are speculating on the probable consequences of his death. His eldest son, only 17, has already been put in possession of a harem, in which it is said he takes as groat delight as his father did before him. GREENWICH HOSPITAL.—In accordance with a recent act the Most effectual measures are now being em ployed to improve the condition of the pensioners. The new clothing now being made up within the establishment is a gr a , both as respects quality a n d p a t. tern.el't imPr The ugly hat, universally hated by the in mates, is to be superseded. The allowance known as " tobacco money" has been much increased. Many minor details have besides been arranged, under the superinten dence of the Governor, Sir James Gordon, which have given the utmost satisfaction to the inmates. THE GREENLAND FISHERY.—Mr. J. S. Walker of Hull, has just received a later, dated Lerwick, June 17, from whence the following is an extract :—" The Perse verance, of Peterhead, paF•sad this day, with from 7 to 8 tuns. The seal fishing has proved a failure, as will be seen from the following report :—Alexander Harvey, 30 tuns ; Clara, 7 tuns; Dublin, 7 tuna; Elena, 30 tuns; Jan Manan, 20 tuna ; Kate, 7 tuns ; Resolution, 7 tuns; Xanthus, 20 tuns." It appears by a telegram received at Lloyd's that the missing Canarlian steamer from Quebec has foun dered after striking an iceberg in the Straits of Belle Isle, and that 35 of the passengers an] crew were drowned. This vessel was the first boat of the season that attempted the dangerous passage by the Bello Isle Straits,! generally full of ice at the present time of the year, and full inquiry will doubtless be called for as to the propriety of sending a large steamer through such a route. GRAND CIVIC BANQUET TO THE JUDGES.--Last evening, following a time - honoured custom, Mr. Alderman Alibis and Mr. Lusk, the Sheriffs of London and Middlesex, entertained her Majesty's Judges, the Lord Mayor, the Court of Aldermen, several members of the House of Com mons, and also of the bar, together with some of the minis terial officers of the Corporation, at dinner, at the Albion Tavern, Aldercgate• street._ DEATH OF Mn. S. LEIGH SOTHEBY.—lmmedi ately before going to press ye received the sad intelligence of the sudden death of Mr. S. Leigh Sotheby, the chief of the well-known firm of literary and artistic auctioneers, Messrs. Sotheby and Wilkilson. Mr. Sotheby was connec ted with the literary world, xot °lily in his business capacity, but as the writer of several important and expensive works of considerable value. His " History of Block Books" is one of the gems of literary antiquarianism, and he was just on the point of publishing i splendid and elaborate work on the "Autograph of Milton." Mr. Sotheby had but lately removed to his estatein Devonshire, in the hope of enjoying that Olitlin Clell2 digtitate which he had so well de served.— Critic. GREAT FALL OF RAIN IN BIRMINGIIAM..—Dur ing a heavy thunderstorm in Birmingham on Thursday rain fell to the deptn of 1.17 inches. This tremendous fall of rain is upwards of one-third of the average fall for the entire month of June for seven years, which is 3.00 inches. The storm began at 9 a.m., and lasted four hours. TllE WIMBLEDON RIFLE CONTEST.—Mr. Ross the veteran shot, and father of the youthful champion who carried off the honours of rifle shooting in the great contei.t last year, is, we hear, in active training for the approaching meeting at Wimbledon. He is full of confidence, and pro bably never shot so well since his boyish days as at pre sent. In proof of this fact we may mention that within the last few days, at a range el 1,000 yards, he hit the target 15 times in succession and the bull's-eye five times, count ing 20 points—a feat which we believe no one ever before accomplished. It is tolerably evident, therefore, that should he try his fortune in the rifle lists at Wimbledon his oppo nents will have to confront a formidable competitor. THE KINGSWOOD MURDER.—A German was ap prehended near Sandgate, in Kent, on Thursday evening, on suspicion of being one of the persons concerned in the murder of Mrs. Halliday. In height and appearance he corresponds with the description given of the elder of the men on whom suspicion has fallen. A shirt, torn into feet mufflers, was found upon him, a*d there were besides ex tracted from the inside of the lining of his coat a begging letter and an emigration passport, both in German. He says that he left Hamburg five weeks ago, but in other respects his statements are very contradictory. He was examined last evening, and remanded. DESTRUCTIVE FIRE AT NEWlNGTON.—Yesterday morning, between one and two o'clock, a fire of a most de structive character broke out in Newington-causeway, which laid in ruins property roughly estimated at a hundred thousand pounds. The fire was discovered raging on the premises of Messrs. Goldsmith Brothers, fruiterers, No. 38, Newington-causeway, by the policeman on duty, who instantly raised an alarm, when the inmates made for the staircase, but were met by a huge body of fire, and were obliged to escape over the roofs of the adjoining houses. So rapidly did the fire rage, that it quickly caught the exten sive premises of Messrs. Hayward's floor cloth and table cover manufactory, which stands upon upwards of an acre of ground, containing an immense stock of floor-cloth, oil, and other inflammable articles. The building, being com posed principally of wood, burnt very fiercely. A good supply of water and great engine power being obtained, every exertion was made t..) check the progress of the flames. In vain, however, did the firemen throw immense streams of water on the bui dings adjoining the fire as well ds into the die itself. The conflagration spread, and before it was finally overcome it had laid in ruins or severely in jured thirty houses, a-:-~ LATEST NEWS. - • FRANCE AND ITALY. La Patric of this day publishes the following in very prominent type : "The Cabinet of Turin perfectly agrees with France on the subject of the recognition of the Italian Kingdom. It admits the reserves relative to the question of Rome and the Patrimony of St. Peter. " C)unt Vimereati is expected this evening at Paris. He brings the official reply of the Sardinian Cabinet." PARIS, JUNE 22: The Moniteur of to-day announces the definitive appointment of Daoud Effendi as Governor of the Lebanon. TURIN, JUNE 22. A deputation from the inhabitants of Rome were yesterday received by the King, and presented an address. ROME, JUNE 20. No improvement has taken place in the health of the Pope. Reactionary agents have been sent to Umbria and the Marches. TURIN, JUNE 21. The Opinione publishes a letter from the brother of Count Cavour, denying the assertions of the Gazette de Prance in regard to the circumstances which accompanied the last religious acts of the Minister. The Turin journals announce that, at the request of Baron Ricasoli, Signor Carutti, Secretary- General to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, has withdrawn his resignation. CRACOW, JUNE 20. The Czas of to-day publishes news from War saw, announcing that M. Wielopolski had proposed the formation, under the title of Polish Military, of a flying column of 6,000 men, to maintain public order in the country, instead of the Russian troops SOUTHAMPTON, SATURDAY MORNING. The North German Lloyd's steamer New York, Captain Wenke, from New York on the Bth inst., arrived off the Needles at 8 a.m. LIVERPOOL, JUNE 22. The Royal Mail Company's steamship Persia, which sailed to-day for New York, took £154,467 in specie. TRANCE. PARIS, FRIDAY. The circular of the French Government to its representatives abroad, announcing to them the re cognition of Italy, and giving them such instruction as may be necessary, has just been forwarded. There is no truth in the statement that the terms of the recognition have given dissatisfaction to the Italian Cabinet. It is almost needless to say that these terms were previously arranged between the two Governments. The Presse of this evening says : " The reply of the Government at Turin to the French propositions respecting the recognition of the Kingdom of Italy has arrived, and is in the affirmative. " The Cabinet of Turin entirely agrees with the views of France." The Patrie of this evening states that the Cabi net of Turin admits tho reservations made by France in regard to the question of Rome and the Patrimony of St. Peter. The Presse states that Fluid Pasha has been ap pointed Governor-General of Syria. " It has baen already mentioned," says the Inde vendanco, " that the Emperor Napoleon would meet at Vichy the Marquis de Lavalette, the Duke de Gramont, and M. Ad. Barrot, the French Ambas sador at Constantinople, Rome, and Madrid. It appears, according to certain rumours, that to those names may be added those of MM. de Moustier and La Tour d'Auvergne, who will come, one from Vienna and the other from Berlin, and perhaps even M. de Montebello, who represents France at St. Petersburg. This would be a Punch diplomatic Congress, particularly if Count Walewski and M. Thouvenel should accompany the Emperor to Vichy —one for the whole season, and the other for a few days." BOURSE, June 21.—Business continues very limited in amount, but prices well maintained. Threes, for the account, are now at 67f. 85c. Rail way Share Market quiet, but firm. The following are the last quotations : 41 per per Cents ... 96 70 Credit Fancier — Do end month.... I Belgian 41 — 3 per Cents Do. end month 67 90! Roman . Bank Shares 2515 ' Austrian Credit lUobilier.... 700 —' Spanish Threes 5O Do. Account 7Ol 25 ' Home Debt LOSS OF THE CANADIAN. THIRTY-FIVE PERSONS DROWNED. A telegram revived in Liverpool, yesterday, an nounces the total loss of the royal mail steamer Canadian, en route from Quebec to Liverpool, with mails and passengers. The disaster was occasioned by the vessel coming in contact with the masses of ice with which the Straits of Belleisie (through which she was sailing) are at this season frequently crowded. In half an hour after the collision the vessel foundered, and 35 persons perished. The following are despatches on the subject from Londonderry : "LONDONDERRY, Friday. " The North Briton, from Quebec on the 7th inst., has arrived, and landed all mails except those for Liverpool. She reports the loss of the Canadian, in Cie Straits of Belleisle, on the 4th inst., from striking an iceberg: She went down in half an hour after wards. Thirty-five passengers are lost." Another account says : " The Canadian was lost on the 4th inst. She struck an iceberg 11 miles east of Belleisle, and foun dered in 35 minutes after, five miles from the island. It is supposed that 24 passengers and 10 of the crew are lost. Capt. Graham and the saved went to St. John's in a French vessel ; the first and fourth offi cers and five seamen were left behind to intercept the North Briton to follow; attempted, but could not get south. Impenetrable ice and fogs." LIST OF THE CREW AND PASSENGERS SAVED, CREW.—Captain Braham, Mr. Kenny, W. Smith, T. Bakewell, J. Alexander, J. M'Dougall, R. Gardener, W. Mackay, R. Gavin, H. Broadfoot, H. Spencer, W. Duff, J. Shearer, J. S. Livingstone, J. Davies, R. Howarth, A. Blon dell, W. Cleary, F. Buchar, J. Pascoe, D. M'Kinsie, D. Campbell, It. Richards, C. Melville, P. Smith, G. Higgs, Mrs. Carey, William Carroll, J. Cotterill, William Mitchell, Wm, .Stewart, G. Hill, W. Hillbrand, D. H. Lloyd, J. Fallagher, J. West, L. Kellenberg, D. Craig, F. Nicholson, G. Smith, J. Jones, Mr. Thibodo, W. Johnstone, R. Nichol], G. Parker, L. K. Smith, R. Northsworthy, M. M'Leod, M. Lavotich''J. Roscoe, J. Runnington, J. Hamil ton, J. Johnston, D. Gillespie, D. Sloan, R. Wanson, R. Curtiss, J. Wallace, A. Brannar, W. Forester; D. M'Donald; W. Hamilton, G. Willis, W. Hallatt, E. Faw cett, J. Laverty, E. Gillespie, R. Owen, T. Clinch, M. Brush, W. Thomson, J. Ramsay, J. Clarke, R. Maclean, J. M'Whalley, H. M'Kenny, W. Aicken, R. Leithwaite, J. Wray, W. M'Clelland, H. Mitchell, G. Hamilton, P. Clare, T. Dixon, R. Harris, C. Moss, J. Evans, T. Darlington. PASSENGERS.--Mr. Rathbone, Miss Clow, lady, and child; Mr. Bedford and child ; Rev. H. Gleeson, Mr. M'Call, Mrs. Campbell, Mrs. Noble, Mr. Ardagh and lady; Miss Ardagh, J. W. Mathew, J. Brandon and lady; Mr. J, Gordon, Mr. M'Fie and lady ; R. Young, H. Brady, W. Thomson, J. R. Scott, T. Berriman, M'Namee and child ; Mr. Samuels, Mr. Fife, Miss Holt, Mrs. D. Drushy, Mr. Gilmour and lady, servant, and two children; Mr. Morris, Miss M'Fie, R. W. Dean A. M'Kay, A. R. Harrison, G. Gil, Mr. Deck, W. Hamilton, W. Patterson, W. Patrick and daughter, W. Berglikole, W. Montgomery, A. Mus tail, Isabella Galloway, D. Dunlop, E. Moran, J. Jetts, wife and child, Jane Tweed, Jano Jamieson, Mrs. Wing fiek, Margaret Hilly, Priscilla Cheshire, Catherine Bake well, J. Hamilton, IV. Lowry, W. Atkinson, H. Falloon, Alice Hamilton, J. Smith, W. Gillis, Esther Dale, 0. Tagie, C. M'Cann, Eliza Graham, George Rennie, D. Williams, D. Carry, Isabella Webster, M. Bird, J. E. Togext, F. Ashby, E. Brigwell and boy, T. Roe, J. Carry, T. S7kes and wile, R. Wallace and Jane Cleghorn. Crew, 88 ; passengers, 89. TILE DISPUTE IN THE BUILDING TRADES. TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN. SIR,•--The carpenters and joiners of London wish to state through your columns that they have de cided to join in offering the same terms to the em ployers as the bricklayers and masons—viz., 6s. per day of 10 hours for the first five days in the week, 3s. for Saturday, leaving work on that day at 12 o'clock. This decision having been arrived at after mature deliberation and good faith, the men sin cerely hcpe the above terms will be accepted as a compromise honourable alike to employers and employed.—On behalf of the carpenters and joiners, W. R. CREMER, See. pro teen. Committee, Mitre Tavern, St. Martin's-lane, June 21. THE REFORMATION OF RELIGION IN ITALY. Yesterday afternoon a lecture was delivered on this subject by Signor Gavazzi, in Willis's Rooms, King-street, bt. James's, to a large and fashionable audience. The meeting was presided over by Lord Cal thorpe, who having stated that Signor Gavazzi's visit to England on the present occasion was for the purpose of raising funds to enable the Italians to raise anti establish a National Italian Evangelical Church, _ _ _ Signor GAYAZZI rose to address the meeting, and was received with much applause. Having for a considerab:e time addressed those present in Italian, he stated, as they were assembled on a matter of business, he must state that matter to them in English in the best way he could. He was glad to say that Italy had now to a great ex tent obtained constitutional liberty, and his desire was to give her religious liberty. He had adopted Naples as the present field of his operations, and he had done so for two reasons. In the first place, the Neapolitans were more fit for evangelisation than any other portion of the Italian people. If well guided, they would follow the truthful teacher, and as their feelings were truly religious, if once satisfied that the religion they professed was idola trous, they would at once renounce it, and adopt that which they considered better. One instance of that was to be seen in the number of converts from Rome they had already made in Naples in comparison with the rest of Italy. Then his se cond object in fixing on Naples as the centre of his operations was, that he might be near Borne, for let him tell them that he had the strongest wish, and he believed his wish would be granted, to make his great evangelical speech in the Colosseum at Rome. (Cheers.) The lecturer then went on to state that his object was for the present to open a large chapel in Naples, and provide means for preparing future evangelisers, several priests being already desirous to work in the evangeP sation of their country. He also wished to obtain a good supply of books, especially commentaries on the Bible, and the best books on the Romish and Neologian controversies, for the use of the future evangelisers while under training. It was also intended to establish a printing office, for the purpose of publishing a daily evangelical paper, together with religious tracts, independently of foreign printing. To aid in carrying out these objects, he now therefore appealed to the English people. An English committee had been appointed in London, on which were some of the most dis tinguished evangelical Christians of the day, while another had been established in Naples, and through these committees the whole of the money subscribed would be transmitted. After commending these objects to the audience in eloquent and impressive terms, the lecturer concluded amid much applause. An enthusiastic vote of thanks was then passed to Signor Gavazzi for his lecture; and a similar vote having been awarded to the chairman, for his kindness in presiding, the proceedings ter minated, I.E.RRIFIC FLOOD A 7 GREENFIELD. Yesterday afternoon, the Greenfield Valley, Saddleworth, was devastated by a flood, more disas trous than any during the present century. About half-past two o'clock, the water from the hills rushed down with terrine violence, sweeping everything before it, and doing damage to a considerable amount. The weirs above Messrs. Bottomley's Mill, which were erected immediately after the flood in 1857, were completely washed away; three wooden bridges and one stone one were swept for ward through the garden to the mill, the willow ing house of which was washed away. Considerable damage was also done to the dwelling house, into which the water penetrated, and destroyed much of the furniture. The lower rooms of the mill and dychouse were also inun dated, and damage to the amount of some thousands of pounds was done. At Mr. Buckley's (Waterside Mill), the torrent swept away the roads and fences, and covered the land to a considerable depth, tear ing up trees, and carrying down everything that stood in its course. At Clubhouses, a row of cot tages near the bridge, the water became dammed up, and completely filled the lower rooms in all the cottages fronting the river. In one of these, the in mates, consisting of an old woman, the wife of Wil liam Bradbury, her granddaughter (a ctherhild child en - betwi en tw o and three years of age), no t ru sted to her care, were occupying the lower set o f rooms, with no outlet but the front doer. Through this entrance the water rushed before the inmates could be rescued. A young woman gallantly at . tempted to save them; but her efforts were of no avail, and Mrs. Bradley and the two children were drowned. The body of one of the children was washed down a mile and a half, and, • when re covered, was fearfully mangled. Several narrow escapes occurred further down, several persons having had to be got out at the roof, so sudden was the rush of the flood. Many houses were com pletely deluged in the lower rooms, and the inha upper storeys. to calculate, bit an t s had to seek refuge in the The loss to property it is impossible but it must be immense. RAILWAYS. Cash. Account. Orleans 1365 .. 1365 Northern New ditto 397 50 Lyons and Mediterranean 917 50 .. 948 75 Geneva.. Southern 577 50 .. 577 50 Western Eastern Sardinian Austrian Lombard AMERICA. LONDONDERRY, JUNE 21. The Canadian screw steamer North Briton, Capt. Borland, from Quebec on the Bth inst., arrived here to day. She has been delayed 70 hours by ice and dense fogs. She has 200 troops on board. She passed the Bohemian on the 10th inst. NEW YORK, JUNE 8. (BY TELEGRAPH TO FATHER POINT.) The Federal troops are marching against Harper's Ferry. The Board of Underwriters have advanced the war risks on vessels bound to Europe 21 per cent., 'and on those sailing for the Pacific, East and West Indies, and Africa by 5 per cent. A doubtful report is current that the Confederate troops are moving towards Cairo. The Federal troops at that place are considered sufficient to meet all emergencies. The Anglesea has arrived out. QUEBEC, JUNE 8. The Governor-General of Canada and several members of the Cabinet have gone down the River Du Loup to meet his Royal Highness Prince Alfred. COMMERCIA L INTELLIGENCE. NEW YORK, JUNE 8, EVENING. Money abundant. Exchange on London. — Bankers' bills, 105'4. to 1051. Stocks ara lower. New York Central, ill; Erie, 211; Illinois Cen tral, 631. Cotton steady. Sales to-day, 4,500 bales ; mid ling upland, 131 c. to 14c. Breadstuffs dull and declining. Wheat lower. Corn steady. Provisions very dull. Pork heavy. Coffee firm, and in moderate demand. Sugar buoyant. Molasses inactive. Freight for cotton to Liverpool, 5-163. NEW ORLEANS, JUNE 8. Cotton nominal. PLYMOUTH, Friday.—The three-masted schooner Agnes Jessie, Captain M'Donald, 62 days from Port Natal, with wool, ivory, and skins for London, has landed 10 pas sengers here, and is gone up Channel. She spoke, June 7, the brig Minstrel, of Boston, bound for South America ; and June 20, the brig Natala, for the Brazils. The steam chip 'Malacca, which has been engaged in dropping the elec tric cable between Malta and Alexandria, was towed into the Sound this morning, her engines being damaged. She is bound for London. - THE BANKRUPTCY BILL. The following resolutions regarding the mutila tions of the Bankruptcy Bill by the House of Lords have been adopted by the Associated Chambers of Commerce : " BANKRUPTCY AND INSOLVENCY BILL. "At a special meeting of the Standing Committee of the Associated Chambers of Commerce of the United Kingdom, consisting of the following Chambers, viz., Belfast, Bir mingham, Bradford, Bristol, Coventry, Dundee, Dewsbury, Glasgow, Glocester, Hull, Kendal, Leeds, Liverpool, Nor wich, Sheffield, Southampton, Staffordshire Potteries, Wol verhampton, charged by special resolution of a general meeting of the Association to consider the subject of Bank ruptcy and Insolvency Laws, with directions to take action thereon. "After very careful consideration of the various altera tions made by the House of Lords in the Bankruptcy and. Insolvency Bill, introduced by her Majesty's Government, it was resolved unanimously,— "That this Committee strongly disapproves the rejec !ion of clauses 123, 124, 125, 128, 130, 133, 134, 135, 136, 145, relating to the appointment and powers of creditors' assignees. Also of the rejection of clauses 181, 182, 185, 186, 187, 188, 189, 190, relating to the mode of rendering accounts, and to the payment of dividends. Also of the rejection of clause 119, giving power to creditors to accept proposals made by bankrupts. Also of the rejection of clauses 223, 224, 225, 226, 227, 228, 229, empowering the Court of Chancery to delegate certain matters to the Com missioners, &c., of local courts. " That this committee also disapproves the following alterations and additions made to the bill by the House of Lords : " The alteration in clause 118, depriving the creditors of the option of removing the case from the court; the altera tion in clause 148 with reference to accounts ; the altera tions in clauses 193 and 195, rendering the assent of three fourths in number as well as value necessary t 3 give vali dity to deeds of arrangement; and alterations in clause 200 to the same effect, together with that requiring all the pro perty of the debtor to be comprised in the trust deed. " Also to the last paragraph of clause 100 ; to clause B at page 25, substituted for clause 103, favouringnon-traders; and to paragraphs F, G, and K, pages 33 and 34, so far as relates to the word non-trader.' That this committee approves the paragraph printed in red ink at the close of clause 208, provided '3O days' be suLztituted thoroln. Tor Maya: " That the alterations above mentioned would deprive the bill of its principal value in the estimation of the mer cantile community; and this committee earnestly trusts that the House of Commons and her Majesty's Govern ment will offer to those alterations their determined oppo sition. " ' That a memorial based on the above resolutions,and signed by the chairman, bo presented to her Majesty's Go vernment. " ' That a copy of these resolutions be forwarded to each Associated Chamber, with a strong recommendation that they immediately petition Parliament in accordance there with ; to the National Association for the Promotion of So cial Science; to the Mercantile Law Amendment Society; and to each member of the House of Commons.' " CHARLES M. NORWOOD, President. " Office of the Associated Chambers of Commerce ) 30, Parliament-street, Juno 19." SUBMARINE 7ELEGBAPII CABLES. The report of the joint committee appointed by the Board of Trade to inquire into the best form of covering for submarine telegraph cables has just been issued. Up to the present time 11,364 miles have been laid, but only about 3,000 are actually working. The lines not working include the Atlantic, 2,200 miles • the Red Sea and I n di a , 3 ,499 Miles; the Sardinia, Malta, and Corfu, 700 miles; and. the Singapore and Batavia, 550 miles. The com mittee gave a succinct history of these as well as of all the others, and state their conclusions. The failure of the Atlantic is attributed to "the cable having been faulty, owing to the absence of experi mental data, to the manufact ure h av i ng b een con ducted without proper supervision, and to the cable not having been handled after manufacture with sufficient care ;" and they add that "practical men ought to have known that the cable was defective, and to have been aware of the locality of the de fects before it was laid." The Red Sea and India failure is considered to be attributable to the cable having been designed " without regard to the con ditions of the climate or the character of the bottom of the sea over which it had to be laid, and to the insufficiency of the agreement with the contractor for securing effectual supervision during manufac ture and control of the manner of laying." Looking at these circumstances, and similar ones in connection with other lines, the committee point out that the failures in every case are assignable to defined causes which might have been guarded against. They next detail the vari ous methods hitherto employed for the construction and laying of submarine cables, and state the re sult of experiments in demonstrating the superiority of eaoutchouc to gutta-percha for the insulating covering. They likewi se express th e i r opinion as to the best method of external protection and the plans for layilig and maintenance, and recommend the construction of a vessel specially for the pur pose, which they believe, when not employed in lay ing cables, would be found extremely useful for the ordinary purposes of commerce. In conclusion, they repeat their belief that the exercise of due care might have prevented all the unsatisfactory results that have thus far attended this branch of enter prise, and that if proper regard be h ence f or th be stowed upon the question, the results will prove as successful as they have hitherto been disastrous. The evidence appended is extremely voluminous, and occupies 520 pages. CRYSTAL PALACE. Yesterday a private performance was given by M. Blondin in the terrace dining-room of the Crystal Palace. Hitherto we hav e seen M . Blon dinweretit a t chieflywh iwhich theremarkable exhibition o wasacco unt o given.f Yesterday achieve several difficult operati ons on the tight rope,e saw him t o greater advantage in a acts ig each of whi c h would have been s the er es i wzzohyf which w c h h e enough to fatigue an ordinary performer, sup posing him capable of rivalling it. The rope used for the purpose was a short one, strained to a per fect level, at a height of not more than eight or ten feet at the utmost. It seems that M. Blondin has for so long a period abandoned this simple and comparatively tame means of display, that an apo logy was considered necessary for any loss of skill that might have ensued from disuse. We should scarcely think, however, that M. Blondin can have lost much by want of practice. He first appeared in the costume of a Siberian slave—a cool one, by the way, as it consists principally of loose bathing drawers and fetters—and with his feet secured in baskets of the shape and size of those receptacles of unreadable pamphlets, impertinent communications, and circulars of bankrupt sales, at an awful sacri fice, which "no gentleman's lib rary should be without. Thus awkwardly encumbered he danced, leaped, threw amazing somersaults, and ran swiftly backwards and forwards on the rope, with an ease which is wholly indescribable. He next came for ward, dressed in the conventionally pretty attire of a stage peasant, and with wooden shoes, or rather clogs, the soles of which, being loosely tied on, enabled him to produce the same clapping sound on the rope which would ensue from stamping on a hard floor. The dance itself was exceedingly quaint and pleasing, and the feats of agility which concluded it were not less attractive, while they were infinitely more amazing. Throwing phis clear somersaults, he still kept up the clapping rop e . i o wooden soles in the air, just as well as on Each succeeding exploit astonished the • audie nce more and more ; but perhaps the climax was reached when he balanced himself on a caair with leaped backwards over it with a some rsault, alighting on only ono of its legs upon the rope , and also the rope in a graceful pose with the utmost ease and precision. In parts o f the p er formance, M. Blondin exchanges his balancin g p o le at one time for a holdingace of fia flags, a t another for a coc k ed hat over which,by both hand s , h e jumps, and of sight and practised skill in finally dances, and even plays upon the violin and all ifothrme vianleiele,tostgainvde without the balancing pole, trusting only ttehehdisruomw,n fixedness sustaining himself in his difficult position. It was curious to see with what ease he paused, once or i s n o , m o e n di o r n ec e ti f on o s t on the rope with the mostperfectnonchalance. . . The spring afforded b ythat elastic basis very con siderably aided his ff e orts, while it also increased their graceful effect It is a part of M. Blondin's• tactics to make each performance more startling than any which has preceded it the series, and we suppose thathe intends to insame introduce many fresh esolutions in the forthcoming exercises on the 2,000 t cc rope outside the building. But we can hardly think it possible that he can approach one-half the feats performed by him on the short rope, which is screwed to the tension of a violin string. The rope reaching along the terrace, and even that which extends the length of the tran sept, cannot yield the elastic footing from which Blondin shoots up, as it were, many feet above the little cord in the terrace dining-room. Can any one answer the question, what is a magnet? We only know some of its marvellous effects, and admire the in genuity of those who' apply its power to beneficial uses, for instance llerrilg's magnetic brushes, &c. Dr. Hassall re ports "I regard them as the most perfect brushes hitherto made, as resputs their mechanical construction, and their magnetical action." They are the remedy for grey hair, neuralgia, rheumatism, &c. N.ll.—Counterfeits arc being made. Cayes, 32, Balinbhall•street, Ludon.