The Sun. — London, England, 1864-12-20 00:00:00

THEATRE ROYAL, DRURY- LANE.- JL Managers, Messrs. E. Falconer and F. B. Chatterton, - ---• THIS EVENING, to commence with A YOUNG LAD FROM THE COLIN tRY. Messrs. G. Belmore, Fitzjames, and G. F. Neville; Misses Helen Howard, R. Leclercq, After which, Shaksoere's Play of CYMBELINE. Mr. Phelps ; Messrs. Creswick, H. Marston, Walter Lacy, 3. F. Neville, Edmund Phelps, A. Rayner, ttc.; Miss Atkinson and 'Miss Helen Faucit. Doors open at ha f-past Six—Commence at Seven. T HEATRE ROYAL, HAYMARKET.- Lessee. Mr. Buckstone. THIS EVENING, THE SCHOOL FOR SCANDAL. Messrs. Bucksfone, Chippendale, Howe, Farren, Rogers, Gordon, Clark, Braid, Coe, &c. ; Mesdames Angel, Snowdon, Fitzwilliam, Lindley, &c. After which, NO SONG NO SUPPER. Messrs. C om pto n , Farren, Arthur Clark, Weatheraby, ttc. ; Mesdames Keeley, Villiers, Moo re , Lovell, &c. And OUR MARY ANNE. To commence at 7. ROYAL PRINCESS'S THEATRE. Sole Lessee and Manager, Mr. Geo. Vining. THIS EVENING, BORN TO GOOD LUCK. I addy O'Rafferty, Mr. Dominick Murray. After which, THE STREETS OF LONDON. Messrs. Vining, J. W. Ray, D. Fisher, D. Murray, J. Nelson, H. Forrester. H. Mellon ; Mrs. Henry Marston, Miss Emma Barnett, and Miss Kinny Gwynne. ROYAL LYCEUM THEATRE. Under the sole management of Mr. Fechter. THIS EVENING, at 8, RUY BLAB. Messrs. Fechter, Ryder, Fitzpatrick, F. Ch ales, M`lntyre, Garden, Raymond, Collett, C ifford, Moreland ; Misses Carlotta Lezlercq, H. Percy, and Mrs. Winstanley. Preoeded, at 7, by MY WIFIt'S OUT. Messrs. H. Widdi- Comb, F. Charles ; Misses 11. Percy and E. Lavenue. To conclude with NURSEY CHICKWEED. Mr. H. Widdicomb. Doors open at half-past 6 ; commence at 7. The Box-office open daily from Eleven till Five. INTw TB EATRE-R O YAL , ADELPHL - Sole Proprietor and Manager. Mr. B. Webster. THIS EVENING, THE WORKMEN OF PARIS. Mr. Benjamin Webster; Messrs. Billinkton, R. Phillirs, Stuart, J. Clarke, Stephenson, Ebarne, C. J. Smith ; Mrs. Stirlinf, , , Miss Woolgar (Mrs. A. Mellon), Miss H. gimme. Mrs. Biliington, Mrs. H. Lewis, and Miss A. Seamen. To conclude with DOING BANTING. Mr. J. Clarke, Mr. Stephenson; Mrs. Lewis and Miss A. Seaman. Commence at 7. Ali SS BATE MA N.-NEW THE A TRE ROYAL ADELPHL—Mr. Webster begs to announce that the great Tragedienne, Miss BAT r.MAN, having per formed with unparalleled success the character of " Leah" f or a period of nine consecutive moaths during the last season at this Theatre, and since won the plaudits cf thousands in Liverpool, Birmingham, Dublin, Manchester, and Glasgow, she will RE-APPEAR at this Establishment JANUARY 2d, 1855, in her original character of the Jewish Maiden for a limited number of nights, previously to her appearing in other illustrations of the tla.sic Drama, which are in prepa ration. The B. x-office will be opened on Yonday, Dec. 19, when places may be secured for Miss Bateman's engagement a fortnight in advance. ROYAL ST. JAMES'S THEATRE Manager, Mr. Benjamin Webster. Last Six Nights of the present Management. EMINENT TALENT AND COMEDY DRAMA. THIS EVENING, a new Musical Drama, entitled THE BARONET ABROAD ANL) THE RUSTIC PRIMA LONNA : Mr. Flank Matthe s Miss Constance Roden. . _ After which, at a quarter to Eight, a new and origina. Comedy Drama, in three acts, by J. Palgrave Simpson, enti tled SYRILLA ; or, STEP BY STEP. Mr. and ..1.1.rt Charles Mathews. To conclude with Mr. Maddison Morton's New Comedy Farce of WOOD', OCK'S LITTLE GAME. Mr. Charles Mathews, Mrs. Frank Matthews. On Thursday, Dec. 22, Benefit of Mr. and Mrs. Char:es 3lathews. On Saturday, Dec. 24, Benefit of Mr. Benjamin Webster, ROYAL STRAND THEATRE. Sole Lessee and Manageress, Mrs. Swanborough. THIS EVENING, at 7, WILFUL WARD. Messrs. Turner and Belford ; Miss Palmer. After which, at 8, MILKY WHITE. Messrs. Craven, Etoyle, James ; Miss Ada Swanborough. To conclude with MAZEPPA. Messrs. Thorne and Fen ton Mesdames Raynham, Simpson, and Jehnstone. GRATIS AND POST FREE E. MOSES and SONS' New Pamphlet, THE PHILOSOPHY OF DRESS. •L 74 MOSES AND SON u-• respectull call atttion to their large and well- assorted stock f ofJUVENILE CLOTHING. The newest fabrics are combined with the latest and most fashionable tdesigns, and the best workmanship. E. MOSES and SON •R•ve particular attention to this important branch of their business, and they can with confidence affirm that the prices are such as must satisfy the most economical. This depart ment is in a distinct part of the premises, which will be found a great convenience for ladies and children, EMOSES AND SON • respectfully invite public attention to their large and well-assorted wIN T E it STOCK. L . ] MOSES AND SON' S li•"SANDRINGHAM" and " DANISH " WRAPPER ;Introduced by them) Is the newest and most fashionab:e style of Overcoats for the season. 1p MOSES AND SON'S • READY-MADE and BESPOKE CLOTHING for all classes and all ages. The Liberals of Essex are making active de• monstrations of their political principles, and have given good earnest in their recent Maldon banquet of their determination to contest the represents• tion of the county at the next election. In accord ance with the old saying, that the Whigs are always best in opposition, the addresses of the gentlemen who took part in Thursday's proceedings were, for the most part, commendable for the liberality and enlightenment of their views. The principal speech of the evening, that of Mr. CHICHESTER FCRTESCUE, MY., Under Secretary for the Colonies, was decidedly the best ; and when the speaker claimed to represent the progressive rather than the reactionary temper of the Ad ministration, he certainly expressed the general views of a large body of his countrymen. His opinions on colonial questions are, of course, worth hearing, and their general tenor was just and semi. ble, readily admitting the claims which our depen dencies have upon our justice, sympathy, and kindness, while making allowance for the ex travagancies and indiscretions not easily avoided by young self-governing nations. With regard to the war in New Zealand, which Mr. FORTESCUR regretted to confess was not so near its termination as had been hoped, he expressed his conviction that every possible indulgence had been shown to the natives. Fears, he said, had been entertained in this country, that the colonists were inclined to en croach upon native rights, and wished to continue the war from various interested motives. He denied both these accusations. The Imperial Government had taken care that,the rights of the natives should be studiously respected in the terms of peace ; while it was only just that those Maories who persisted I in continuing hostilities, provoked by themselves, should be taught a lasting lesson. As for the rumoured anxiety on the part of the settlers to con• tinne the war, he dismissed it as altogether un founded. "His knowledge of the great sacrifices they had made and were making, of the sheddieg of colonial blood, of the spending of colonial money, of the paralysis of colonial trade, convinced him that neither the Colonial Government nor people would be inclined to continue the war a day longer than could be avoided." Mr FORTESCUE, in his general defence, went back so far as our original appropriation of those islands, bat that is ;rather superfluous at the present time. No one proposes that we should surrender them to the Maories, s e., to the first European Power that felt inclined to take possession of them. The question is not how 'LI MOSES AND SON'S • CELEBRATED "INDISPENSABLE" SUIT, from 30s. ILI MOSES AND SON' S tu• HOSIERY and DRAPERY, for all classes and all ages. EMOSES AND S ON'S • RATS AND CAPS, for all c asses and all ages. FMOSES AND S ON ' S • BOOTS and SHOES, for all classes and all ages. MOSES AND SON'S jJ • O UTFI PS, for all classes, all age, and all climates. MOSES AND SON'S i2j• LONDON HOUSES, 154, 155, 15g, 157, Minories ; 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, Aldgate ; 506, 507, 508, New Oxford--street; 1,2, 3, Hart-s,reet ; 137, 138, Tottenham-court-road ; 288, Euston-road Also, Bradford, Yorkshire. JMOSES AND S ON ' S 4 ‘• Establishments are closed eve 7 Friday evening at sunset until Saturday evening at sunset, when business is re sumed until It o'clock. A 1 articles are marked the lowest prices in plain figures. returned Any article not appr.ved of will be ex c h anged, or the money List of Prices with Rules for Self-measurement, Fashion Card, and our new pamphlet, " The Philosophy of Dress," gratis and post free. COALS. —The LILLESHAL L COMPANY'S COALS. Direct from their own Collieries. Marqufs'.......2ss. per ton. I Double.. 218. per ton. Top 21s. „ Deep ....228. „ Well screened and delivered within five miles of their De pots, Westbourne Park-road, W., and 17, South Wharf, Paddington, W., and Maiden-lane, N. Best Coke Terms cash. JOHN SCOTT, Sole Lgent THE THIRD EDITION OF " THE SUN," Containing the Latest SPORTING INTELLIGENCE, can be had Every Evening of G. R. GLhNIE, News AGENT, No. 4, Connaught-terrace, Hyde-park. THE LATEST EDITION of " THE SUN" supplied, as soon as published every Evening by W. ALEXANDER (late BROOKS), Newspaper Agent, 24, Old Cavendish-street, Oxford-street. HIGH WATER, AT LONDON BRIDGE. This D AL — Morning, G. 28m.—Afternoon, 6h. 60m. 2%)- mointow.-Morning, 7h. 10m.—Afternoon. 7h. 30m. ~.f .... tb . ih.. its N.,7—... jilt ,Cftillikk " Lir;10 1111 Kao 40PNS -4 44 444 • . -• . ~'.; „:, ,: , - -1 / 4 " , ... - ____ LONDON, TUESDAY, DEC. 20, 1864. The seizure of the Florida was ono of the most disgraceful occurrences that have taken place daring the whole course of the Arnericin war. It was a dastardly act, end stamped its perpetrators with ignominy and reproach. Nothing can extenuate such a wanton deed of spoliation, nor excuse such a gross violation of the laws of nations and the rights of belligerents. It is only to be expected so extraordinary an event should have oceseioned great confusion, and given rise to much excite.. went in the minds of many. We have some tim e since been favoured with Mr WEBB'S extravagant opinions on the subject, when he went out of his way to abuse a friendly Power, and to vilify those who in no way called for the condemnation. It does not appear, however, that his vehement ideas are shared by his countrymen, and indeed it is not did we get them, but how are we to govern them now we have them. Mr FORTESCUE, like most others who have studied the subject, and do not base their opinions upon theories rather than on practical knowledge, is induced to think that our errors heretofore have been those of omission rather than oflommission, doe to a lack of firmness and wisdom rather than to any spirit of oppression or tyranny. Still on the whole he asserts, and we believe with truth, that our dealings with the natives of New Zealand will bear favourable comparison to the relations of any other civilised sta e with a bar barons race. The summer campaign, now already in full action, will, it is to be hop.d, bring this disastrous and unprofitable war to u close, and put R OYAL ENGLISH OPERA, COVENT Probable that they would be. The New York GARDEN. Camber of Commerce have just received a oom. (Opera Company, Limited.) Last Night but One before Christmas. munication from the principal merchants of B a hi a , THIS EVENING (Tuesday), Dec. 20, wi 1 be performed in which they set forth in a simple and straight. Benedict's opera, in one act, THE BRIDE OF SONG. Ea_ ee, lliss Thirlwall ; Beatrix, Mdme. Fanny Huddatt ; forward manner the details of the iniquitous occur. Adel. ert, Mr. Henry Haigh ; and Hannibal, Mr. Alberto q Lawrence. rence of the capture of the Florida, and the wrong After wh!ch, Hatton's new opera, ROSE ; or, L ove ' s Ran som. Rose, Madame Lemmens-Sherrington ; Georgette, thereby inflicted on their trust and confidence. The Madame `Veins; Theresa, Miss Poole; Stephen, Mr. G. case could not be b e tt er put t h an i t i s in these brief Ferran ; Blancoec, Mr. H. C ori l ; Captain, Mr. A. ..00k ; Sergeant, Mr. E. Dus-sek ; and Jaques, Mr. Weiss. Conductor, Mr Alfred M e ll on . but emphatic se n t ences, and i f anything could add The Incidental Divertissement will be supported by Mdlles. to the indignation with which every one has heard Duchateau and Bonfanti. Commence at half-p as t 7 o ' c l oc k . P r i va t e boxes, from ofaddress. the aff a i r it wou ld b e the perusal of this earnest 10s. 6d, upwa r d s; stalls, 7s. ; dress c i rc l e, 5 8 . ; The mere recital of the event is sufficient boxes, 4s. ; amphitheatre stalls, 3s. and 2s ; j 3 it 2 s 6 gallery, Is. No charge for booking places. The box-office is to explain its enormity without any excited expo. open from 10 till 5. sition or violent declamation. It is simply stated that " they deplore the sad occurrence that has taken place, the Federal war steamer Wachusett breaking the neutrality of the empire, and capturing and towing out of the harbour the Confederate steamer Florida, regardless of all international laws and the common laws of people." This passage in itself contains the strongest possible evidence against the commander of the Wachusett, and all who aided and abetted him in his efforts. Further on it is shown that by this conduct the captors of the Florida exhibited a contempt for the wishes, and defied the instructions of those whom they ought to have respected. The anthorities of the place very properly intimated to them that the American Consul had given his assurance that no conflict should take place in their waters, but no heed was paid to the remonstrance. Perhaps they had reasons for so going out of the line of official re strictions, for the said Consul has taken his depar ture, which at each a period, and considering the extraordinary circumstance that had ensued, is moat peculiar and significant. It is a strange way of interpreting the duties that he owes to the Government who appointed him, or to the country which he represents. Surely a time like this is not the one for abruptly terminating a communi cation between the United States and the country which had been so grossly insulted and injured by one of their subjects. The merchants very wisely recommend the Charter of Commerce at New York to appoint a committee to inquire into the subject, and to investigate into the injury thus wrought to the commerce of New York. The authenticity of the signatures is attested by the English Consul of the place, and this circumstance has given rise to very imperti. nent suggestions in some quarters. However, the decision of the Chamber has been a wise one, to re. fer the letter to a committee. Such a course will be the most sure and certain one in the end to attain the desired result, and to expose the real nature of the attempt which so scandalised and outraged all our feelings of propriety. The New York Times contains some very judicious remarks on the sub. ject,which are appropriate in themselves, and which it is to be hoped will have the effect of putting a stop to the indiscreet language and violent wishes of some thoughtless and excitable individuals. The proposal to return the communication of the mu. chants, because the British consul at Bahia had taken a part in it, was perfectly preposterous, and it was not probable that an important body like the Chamber of Commerce should so compromise its dignity as to carry out such a proposal. It is to be trusted that due attention will be paid to this af f air, and the leading members have the honour of their country at stake in the matter, which should induce them to use speed in their deliberations. The Con federate Congress has passed a resolution to the effect of denouncing the seizure of the Florida, and declaring that Brazil is bound to enforce the recto. ration of the vessel. For this purpose commie. sioners have been appointed to confer with Brazil. There can be no doubt of the validity of this claim, and the justness of the demand. All the laws of nations and the recognised principles that actuate the carrying on of warlike undertakings have been set aside, and the principle adopted has been that he should take who has the power and he should keep who can. The astound ing seizure on board the Trent was the first notable act of the Federal agents, and after some time has elapsed, they not inappropriately confirm its ten dency in the capture of the Florida. the relations between the colonists and the natives altogether on a better footing. Coming to the Australian colonies, Mr FORTESCUE could not re frain from regretting the injudicious want of tem per shown by some of the colonists in send ing back some expirees, as those convicts are termed whose sentence has expired, but he thought, on the whole, the Imperial Government had judged wisely in resolving to discontinue the system. The newly proposed Confederation of the British American provinces he spoke of with un qualified approbation. If any confirmation were needed of the prudence and foresight of the colo nists in organising such movement, it is given by one or two significant paragraphs in the American news of to-day. Mr FORTESCUE, from his official position, did not allude to the great incentive to that Union—the reckless, aggressive spirit of the American Government, and the probability that before long they will be left with a large army idle on their hands. He dwelt rather on the magnificent prospect opening before the young Anglo-Saxon nation, and the satisfaction which the mother country would feel in seeing its growth and pro gress. Our duty to our colonies was, he said, clear enough. Having acquired them from motives of policy we are now boand to retain and to protect them, but, in fact, the interest is still as clear as the duty. Great Britain deprived of our colonies would be Great no longer,and in spite of the theories of Pro fessor GOLDWIN SMITH, the wilful abandonment of her magnificent dependencies would at once sink her from the level of an Empire to that of an inferior Stete. It is impossible, as the Under-Secretary for the Colonies justly observed the other evening, "to suppose for a moment that the country which had been able to acquire those magnificent regions in America, in Australia, and in South Africa— those customers for her goods, those faithful allies at distant parts of the globe, those homes for her superabundant population for many generations to come, could be sacrificing her own interests in doing her duty towards those de pendencies." Coming to home questions, Dlr. FORTESCUE disposed very britfly of the topic of Reform, but as he calls himself an advanced Liberal, we must hope that his silence does not proceed from any desire to evade the subject. On religions questions he was more explicit, and, from hie intimate connection with those fellow-subjects who held for the most part a different faith from himself, he was we . qualified to refer to the claims of the Irish Catholics upon the consideration of the great Liberal party. A good understanding between these important bodies was, he remarked, a strong and valuable tie between these islands. Having considered the various departments of home and colonial politics, Mr. FORTESCUE naturally touched upon foreign affairs, and we are glad to find that he puts . - some restriction on th a t d oc t r i ne of non-interven tion which some politicians appear to consider to be the sumum bonum of modern statecraft. Bat Mr. FORTESQUE'S theories about the duty of Eng land toward the smaller Powers are rather late in the day after the dismemberment of Denmark. As _ __... for the part which England has played in the American war, that may redound less to Lord RUSSELL'S honour than his colleague believes; but the coming session will probably afford the noble Ind some indication of the growing feeling of the public. Mr. FoRTESCUE'S speech is a very fair ex ponent of the general policy of the Ministry, and upon colonial matters more especially it is straight forward and satisfactory; but, coming as the re presentative of a professed Liberal Government to a pre•arranged Liberal demonstration, a little more open and cordial advocacy of Reform would not have been inappropriate. Mr. Cobden, whose exertions at Rochdale re sulted in great prostration, is now nearly restored tc health. ACCIDENT TO MR. JAMES MURRAY, OF THE FOREIGN OFFICE.—We are informed that Mr, Murray, Assistant Under-Secretary at the Foreign•offioe, met with a serious accident on Saturday last, at Aldermar ston-court, near Reading, while out shooting with Mr D. Higford Burr and a party of friends. One of the shooting party, in firing, accidentally discharged his gun, and one of the shots lodged in the left eye of Mr Murray. It is feared he has quite lost the sight of his eye. PROFESSOR ANDERSON'S CHRISTMAS ENTER• TAINMENT.—Amongst the public entertainers now making preparation for the celebration of the Christmas holidays, none are more active than Professor Anderson. The entertainment he will produce will, we believe, be one of the most pleasing and extraordinary ever presented to the holiday folk during the approaching festival. He has for some time been carefully superintending the growth of a Christmas tree, which has now attained prodigious dimen sions, and promises a crop of the most splendid description. The Saturday morning performances have been an extra ordinary ,success, mainly because the presents, distributed with such a liberal hand by the Professor, are peculiarly appropriate and beautiful. The great hall was filled to overflowing last Saturday with an assembly of juveniles By the kind invitation of Professor Anderson, the follow ing schools were present (admitted free), to share ~ne treat so generously afforded :—All Saints, Islington, 108; Asylum for Fatherless Children, 108; Bloomsbury Chapel Day School, 56 ; Scottish Central School, 80 ; Training Refuge for Destitute Girls, 33; St Bartholomew's Girls School, 46; St Thomas's Charterhouse School, 410, making a total of 841. The Wizard announces his last week but two, owieg, to the unfortunate circumstance of the hall hiving been previously engaged for other entertainments. How ever, the Wizard has determined to make the best of the time that is left him, and to close his brilliant season with the utmost eclat. LATEST FROM THE BLOCKADE,—Bermuda de• spatches to the 26th of November furnish informa. Lion of the blockade runners as follows :—The Armstrong and Talisman had arrived, the former with 700 and the latter with 400 bales of cotton. The Chickamnga had ar rived safely at Wilmington, after a slight brush with the Federal fleet ; and the Tallahassee was safely in port, load ing with cotton for Bermuda. The following were at Nassau on the 12th :—Will-o'-the- Wisp (chased back) ; Colonel Lamb (do.), Caroline (do.), Stormy Petrel (put back leaky), Wild Rover (chased back, and afterwards sailed), Owl (loading), Ella (do.), Gem (put back in consequence of heavy weather), Star (in the dry dock), Kate Gray, Druid, Coquette, and General Clinch (from Charleston), Little Hattie and Beatrice (from Wilmington), Mars (laid up), Marmon, Siren, and Laura ( l oading),Faloon (broken down), Ptarmigan (machinery damaged), sailed for Havana. THE DEAN AND THE RAILWAY WHISTLE.— Dean Close of Carlisle has published an appeal touching the fearful yell of the locomotives, especially of luggage trains, as they enter the city of Carlisle. He says the screams of our railway trains are increasing to a fearful extent, and nothing but unavoidable duty woald prevent him from flying out of the reach of the screeches. He asks "Have the citizens of Carlisle no ears ? Or are they con tent to be finally deafened at the caprice of an impatient engine driver? Are railways alone to be allowed to disturb the rest and probably shake the nerves of hundreds, and is nothing to rule them ? I have known cases where a man has left his engine to get up her steam, and to play upon her scream-pipe for 20 minutes, while he was regaling him. self in a neighbouring house. is this justifiable? A run away engine will, perhaps, discover some of their practice _ _ _ . —• As I write three, now four, engines are screaming. Our railways are increasing; and if it be a proof of increased traffic and the enlarged prosperity of our city, I rejoice in it; but as our station promises to zival that of Crewe in magnitude, in engine -house, goods shunting, &c., surely the citizens should do something to protect themselves from the indescribable disturbance of tho railway whistle--far, far 'worse than all Mr Bass's organ grinders and Italian monkey boys put together." POSTAL COMMUNICATION WITH THE CAPE.—Some misapprehension exists as to the value of the new mail packet arrangements between this country and the Cape of Good Hope. According to these arrangements a letter for the Cape of Good Ho k e via Plymouth can now be posted in London on the 9th of month, and will reach it; destina tion in 38 days ; and a letter for the Cape via Southampton can be posted on the 20th of the month, and will read; its destination by way of Mauritius in 51 days, or via Mar seilles, on the 26th, in 45 days. The outward Cape mails by the eastern route leave Mauritius about the 24th of the month, Natal the 4th, Port Eli za b e th the Bth, and r oac h . _ the Cape about the 12th. The homeward Cape mails by the eastern route leave the Cape about the 18th, Port Elizabeth the 23d, Natal the 27th, and reach Mauritius, on their way to Suez, about the 6th. A letter for the Cape, therefore, posted on the 20th or 26th o f , the month, will _ . _ _ reach its destination by the Mauritius or eastern route about a week before it will reach if posted on the 9th of the following month by the Plymouth or westora mite, NIA Gi l DECEMBER 20, 1864.1 LATEST INTELLIGENCE. [REUTER'S TELEGRAMS.] PORTUGAL. HURRICANE AT LISBON. LISBON, DEC. 14. On the 13th inst. at about nine a.m., a hurricane burst with fury over Lisbon. In a very short space of time great damage was done principally to the shipping. Several ships have been sunk in the river and damaged considerably,:among which may be mentioned the Portuguese brig, Feliz, Mafalda, and the brig Lusitano ; the bark Linda has been injured; the French brig Boildittu, from Rouen, has been sunk. The vessels of war in the harbour did not suffer any damage, but ail the steam vessels kept steam up throughout the day. The lighters, of which a large number are employed in the harbour in the diseharge of vessels, suffered Icthiiesfuloidssas many a s 42 h ave b een occurred at the Custom sviielr,yk.mucThh.e house Quay, where several lighters with valuable cargoes from vessels in the harbour were waiting to be discharged, all of which were almost instanta neously capsized by the violence of the wind. Lighters with goods from the Ville de Brest, from St. Ntizaire ; the Ailsa Craig, from Glasgow; and the Lusitania, from Oporto, were sunk, and the loss of goods is estimated at something like £40,000. Several lighters belonging to the Royal Mail Com pany, which were moored at the buoy coal laden, waiting the arrival of the Magdalena, were sunk and their cargoes lost. In the Aloantara gardens and other exposed places large trees were blown down, and in Lisbon generally and the suburbs much damage has been done. It is long since Lisbon was visited with such a gale as that recorded above. The Gazette has not yet published the decree relieving Senhor Mendez Leal from the post of Minister of Marine, bat it is considered certain that his excellency has resigned. AUSTRIA. VIENNA, DEC. 20. Baron Halthuber, formerly Agstrian Commis sioner for Jutland, has been appointed Civil Com • missioner for the Thichie3. Herr von Lederer has returned to his post in Hamburg as Representative of Austria at the Hanse Towns. EGYPT. CAIRO, DEC. 19. The Egyptian Government has formally denied the rumours current in the London and Paris Ex changes that it was about to issue Treasury bonds to the amount of £2,500,000. AMERICA. SOU IHAMPTON, DEC. 20. The agents of the Hamburg American Company at this port have received the following telegram : NEW YORK, DEC. 8. The steamer Bavaria, appointed to sail hence on the 10th inst., bas been detained. She will sail on the 14th for Hamburg, and may be expected off Cowes on the 26th inst. FRANCE. BOURSE, Deo. 19.—Tne market has been firm, and with a fair amount of business doing. Threes. for the Account, are unvaried at 65f. 30c. Mo bilier shows a slight improvement, being now at 927 f. 50c. R tilway Market rather quiet, but with the closing rates of Saturday up to the prey, nt time pretty well maintained. The market improved towards the close, and left off as follows :- 41 per Cents 94 Do. end month — 3 per Cents Do. end month..„, 65 ,40 Credit Mobilier..., 930 Do, end month 903 75 Bank Shares 3570 Credit oncier 1225 Roman Italian Loan 65 40 Do. end month 65 55 Ditto Threes — —. New Mexican Russian .. — Austrian .. BO 50 Spanish Threes 44 Home Debt Deferred lIIIL WAYS. Cash. Account. 846 25 .. 860 997 50 .. 9D5 880 .. 881 26 585 .. 655 610 .. —.— Orleans. •3 Northern .... Lyons and Mediterranean Southern ... - .. Western Eastern Sardinian Austrian Loir bard North of Spain Saragossa Ditto to Barcelona 492 50 .. 492 50 316 25 . 315 - 435 - .. 440 - 605 - 507 50 372 50 372 50 437 50 .. 432 60 - .. 190 - 3.-ATTERN POST TO THE BRITISH COLONIES IN THE WEST INDIES AND THE BRITISH SETTLEMENTS ON THE WEST COAST OF Antics,. —On the Ist of Jan. next, and thenceforward, patterns of merchandise may be trans mitted by pest between -England and the undermentioned British colonies in the West Indies, viz.:—Antigua, Baha. mas, Barbadoes, British Galena, Carriacou, Dominica, Gre nada, Honduras, Jamaica, Montserrat, Nevis, St. Kitt'e, St. L and the following British settlem ents on the West Coast of A u fr c i i c a a , , S v t iz .N . - , i G nc a e m n b t, i T a, o G ba o g ld o, c Tooarstt eia, ;L agos, Sierra Leone, The Trinidad,T ur k s I s l an d s; following will be the rates of Mtage which must be pre pkets of patterns, viz.: —For 4 Ilb, 18—above lib and not exceeding packet not exceeding 4 84ofozpossntdagenosttaleseding alb, 6d—above alb chargeable upon such and i c d 3 nd b —o y t a m ebxo e c a ve n ee ding lilb, is 61—above and not exceeding 21b, 28—and every additional alb, 6d. Special attention is directed to the following rules and reg t ulat io lls, Which will b e s t r i ct l y enforced t. No packe t feet in length, breadth, or depth Pa tterns must exceed t wu not be of intrinsic value. This 2d. Th e patterns must rule excludes a ll ar ti c l es o f a saleable nature, and, indeed, whatever may haves value of its own, apart from its mere use as a pattern ; and the quantity of any material, sent ostensibly as a pattern, must not be this so ground, great nd, that u be consid ere d as h av i ng, on th 3d. Th ere must b e no writing or printing other tha t the address of the person u aniu intrinsic it i can aie v fairly aue. for whom the packet is intended, the address of the sender, a trade mark and numbers, and t prices of the articles. 4th. The p a tt erns must bed at the ends, so as to b e eas sent in covers op e n Yof e xamination, Samples, however, of seeds, drugs, and ao forth, w hi ch cannot bo sent in open covers, may be enclosed in bag s o f linen, or other material, ti e d a t the luck ; b ags so closed that they cannot be readil y Opened) even although they be transparent, must not be used for this purpose. Non-com^ pliance with either of the foregoin s rules will subject a packet of patterns to be treated and charged as a letter. In all other respects the regul a ti on _ a of the colonial book post will apply to the pattern poet with the above colonies. Under these regulations, in order to prevent any interrupw tion to the regular transmission of letters, a packet of pat terns may, when it is necessary, be kept back for 24 hours beyond the time when, in the ordinary course, it would be forwarded. N.B.—The rule which forbids the transmission through the post of any article likely to injure the contents of the mail bags or the person of a n y officer of the pom, office is, of course, a packet containing anything of the kind will be stopped and pplicable t o th e pattern post ; and a not sent to its destination, --By command of the Postmaster General. TBAMES ANGLING . - -The following informa .ion as to th e state of the fishery' is from the weekly reports of the a ss i s t ant river keepers of the Thames Ang ling Prese rva ti on Society for the week ending December 15, 1864. F rom Staines , Fletcher says, "There have been but few fish of any sort taken this week. One gentleman tojk six jacks, one weighing 61b. The water still holds good." Harris reports of Laleham :—" Ihe fish ing has been bad. No one comes to fish at Laleham. The water is in good order for jack and perch." Rose• well observes, "I have seen two or three brace of very fine trout lying in holes spawning, There have been some very good jack taken in Walton-sale this last week. Roach fishing is very bad. Smith says, " There have been some very good jack caught in Hampton -preserve as large as nine pounds each, and a few perch." From Kingston, John.. son writes, " 1 have got some good roach with one gentle man, and with another gentleman a jack of twelve and a half pounds weight. This is all the fishing I have had this week The water alters more or less every day. The dace are dropping down to Kew end Mortlake." Erricker says, " There have not been many anglers out this week at Ted , dingtor. One gentleman to seven and a-half dozen of dace in one day, and there have been some more jack taken under the weir. The :ever is in good fishing order. Howard, from Rizhmond, gives an account of several days' takes —one four and a-half dozen fine dace, another two dozle, and seven roach ranging from half to one and a half pounds weight; another day seven dozen of film roach and dace ; another day five and a half dozen roach and dace, the heaviest roach weighing one pound and six maces. These have been quantities of fine dace taken from the bank drily,-7Vire osNrrey Zimos, The Dwarfs at the Crystal Palace. It is recorded in the veracious chronicle of the adventures of Mr Lemuel Gulliver, of Emanuel College, Cambridge, and elsewhere, that when he fell into the hands of the Brobdignagian farmer, that worthy could find no better use for him than to exhibit him. Probably the inhabitants of Brob. dignag were more surprised at the littleness of Gul liver than the Lilliputians were at his bigness, and there was in their case this further advantage that they could handle him without any fear. A giant is an uncanny animal to deal with ; he may do one a damage in case he gets vt xed, but a dwarf is a very different thing, quite es curious and not half so alarming. No wonder, then, that several thousands were yesterday attracted to the Crystal Palace to see no fewer than four dwarfs, all related, or to be related—one of them famous when most of the men of the present generation were still in their teens, and the rest even smaller than the famed Tom Thumb. The general gives a very sensible excuse for breaking through his original intention of keep ing quiet during his visit to Europe. People, he says, won't let him alone when he goes to see any of the wonders of the " Old Home," and he thinks if he shows himself and his wife for a week or so at the Crystal Palace that he will fairly earn the right to go about as a private visitor to this coun try, and may at the same time do a good turn to his sister-in-law and her intended husband by showing bow much smaller they are than himse:f. It is no wonder, then, that so many people were at Sydenham yesterday ; the wonder is, rather that there were not very many more. The Palace is such a capital place to spend a winter day in that very many want down early and passed away the time in seeing the Shakspere House, in buying toys for Christmas, in admiring Mr Brown's really beautiful medals to commemorate the opening of the Clifton Suspension Bridge, in having their portraits taken—in doing some of the thousand things which are open to all who go to Sydenham. Three o'clock was the hour named for the levee of the little folks, and by that time the space in front of the great orchestra was pretty well filled, while in the reserved seats below the organ there was a goodly throng. Four chairs of green and gold were placed on a little raised platform on the orchestra, and hither, soon after the appointed time, came Mr and Mrs Stratton and Miss Minnie Warren, with " Commodore" Nutt, and their spokes. man, introduced to those assembled by Mr Bowley, the energetic manager of the Crystal Palace. The small folks were very well received, and several children occupying places in the reserved seats were placed beside them by way of contrast, the Crystal Palace band the while playing some pleasant music. The levee lasted about half en hour, when " the dis. tinguished strangers" made their bow and retired. To-day, we believe, they will give, at half-past two o'clock, a levee in the board-room of the Palace, when they will appear in the dresses worn at Tom Thumb's wedding; and at half-past three they will show themselves to the general visitors as they did yesterday. We ere assured that it is only at the Crystal Palace and during this week that Mr and Mrs Stratton will appear in company with Mr Nutt and Miss Warren. Those, therefore, who desire to see the whole party must go to Sydenham before the end of the week. Mr and Mrs, Charles Kean in California, (From the San Francisco Gleaner of Oct, 28.) These admirable artists have appeared during the week n "King John " and " Hamlet." The former tragedy was, until late years, rarely played upon the London boards; the elder Kean did not play it at all at the late period of his life; and during the early career of Macready it was the only Shaksperian character in which he attained success— his talents being hemmed into the limited space interven ing between Charles Young and Edmund Kean, To enter into an analysis of tho performance of those accomplished artists would be a superogatory task. If our readers , can imagine perftcti, n, they are that in every point of view, and this must be conceded by many who, not entering into the beauties, consider this tragedy heavy and unadapted for the stage. Observers cannot fail to notice the vast improvement in the stage direction; a master spirit is plainly discernible; the fall of Arthur from the battlements, for instance—the height and concealment of the point of contact with the earth are ertis mane managed, but more worthy of remark is Mr Kean's medisoval knowledge as exemplified in costume. The drecs in which be takes the field is precisely copied from coins in a cabinet that was many years ago familiar to us. This exactitude in apparently slight matters marks the artist, and to whose research we owe tribute—at least with the pen. Mr Cathcart's " Hubert " was a good performance, and fully upholds his reputation. Of the rest of the dramatis persons., we cannot say much ; the princes and nobles made up in stiffness what they lacked in nobility; but this deport. went was perhaps common to the time when princes' " mouths were the only parliament," and of which Shak spere himself seems to have had but imperfect notion. What are we to say of Mr Mayo's Faulconbridge P Any thing but to the purpose. Shakspere threw his whole soul into this character, and since his time many a King John may have convulsively writhed his last, and been remem bered, but very few Faulconbridges exist in the annals of the stage. To look for a brilliant impersonation of such a character from so young and inexperienced an actor as Mr Mayo, is to expect too much, a part for which possibly he never had a model, and he naturally trod timidly when he knew his footing was uncertain. We quote a passage which though he might have carefully studied, he did not com• prehend. Constance concludes a withering reply to Austria, who bids her to piece : Const.—And dost thou now fall over to my foes ? And wear a lion's skin ? doff it for shame, And hang a calf's skin on these recreant limbs. Austr.-0, that a man should speak those words to me Faulc.—And hang a calf's skin on those recreant limbs, Austr.—Thou dar'st not say so, villain, for thy lite. Faulc —And hang a call's skin on those recreant limbs. Now, Faulconbridge, in the first instance, merely reite • rates the taunt of Constance, but in the second, it is in direct answer to a challenge from the craven Austria, and demands, as may be readily inferred from ordinary observa tion, a peculiar intonation, To this Mr Mayo failed to pay regard, uttering both the taunt and response in the same measured key. Many other points might be remarked, but " a word to the wise," &c. On Wednesday night an immense house assembled to witness Kean's first appearance in "Hamlet," and strange as may seem our statement, we nevertheless assert that the Prince of Denmark had never till that night been seen in California. We had been satisfied to see his ghost, and we mistook that incorporeality for the reality. We fiad our self totally incompetent to express our own feel ings at this performance, and we venture to affirm with respect to the audience, that the most san guine expectation was realised, and no greater prof of this could be adduced than that a crowded audience sat under uncomfortable circumstances the tragedy throughout, and among whom scarcely the slightest shifting was visible; and this was a remarkable circumstance, for though we have the highest respect for the patrons of the legitimate dams, we have still hitherto failed to see in them the aesthetic people who have love or even taste for the higher order of art. We may congratulate ourself that we see Mr Kean at the period when he has attained to the acme of his art, and that he is likely to retire from public life at the point of time when his laurels are not only uafaded, but in mature freshness, wait ing no culmination, and avoiding those painful scenes that too often accompany the late phases of an actor's life; we have the privilege to see within the compass of a few weeks the whole successes of his career—the studies of his life—and this we should not fail to do. We have never had a finer dramatic treat than the per. formance of which we now write ; it contained excellencies upon which we might dilate interminably, and we might be tempted to enter into comparative analyses between the talents of Mr Kean aad artists of renown who have preceded him upon our boards in "Hamlet," and for whom we have high respect ; but we dare not. We saw in them melancholy gentlemen who infused something of the same sentiment into us, but the soul—Hamlet's living principle--the Prince interiorly, if we may use the term, we never saw. These words may be, to quote Hamlet, " wild and windy," but they are true, and not biasses by either theatrical friendships, or other motives. Ia Mr Kean it was an embodiment of art, and must maintain a place in the remembrance of even the duller sort of men who, ignorant of the text, or the hundreds of subtle disqui•. sitione that have arisen from it, were entranced by the magic of the scene alone. We now make a statement, and do so after carefully weighing relative merit, / that we never saw the part of Gertrude acted till that occasion. It appeared like the breaking forth of a new life—a diamond to which additional lustre and refrangibility had been given. Taking this performance as a whole, we may safely say that one more elaborate and finished has never been seen in the city, and many years may elapse before newer artists may damp its brilliancy. The only real deficiency was found in Aldrich's Claudius; this part has an individuality that this gentleman failed not only to convey 'to others, but himself to realise. BEE'S IMPROVED DIARY AND ALMANAC FOR 1865.—The thirty-fourth number of this little annual has just been published. The present edition is a great im provement on its predecessor, and to commercial men it will be found of great value. as it contains a diary for every day in the year, Hooker v. Burnaby. TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN. Sir,—My attention having been directed to a letter from Mr Burnaby, contained in The Situ pf this day, I trust you will give me the opportunity of replying. thereto. I could have wished that he had not made it necessary for re: to do so, but, as his account of the affair is so totally opposed to the sworn testimony given on the trial, a substantially correct report of which appeared in The Sun of the 15th inst., I have no alternative. Mr Burnaby appears to imagine that, by starting with the denial of that which was never stated to have occurred, either by Ine'or my witnesses, his task would be somewhat easier in endeavouring to convey to the public an impression that the expression of feeling exhibited by both judge and jury was called forth by a misrepresentation of the facts. Another impression Mr Burnaby would in like manner attempt to convey in his statement that he had no opportu nity aff irded to him on the trial of saying a word or two in his own defence. Why, air, whose fault was that? Surely he had, in instructing his own solicitors and counsel, given to them his own version of this unpleasant affair, and can it be conceived that they would not have c died upon him and his alleged witnesses to enlighten the jury with that version if they had not felt assured that the evidence they were prepared to give would not in the least degree refute the testimony given by me and corroborated by several inde pendent witnesses ? So much, then, for Mr Barnaby's alleged reason for de siring still to continue before the public, who mush attach such weight to it as it deserves. It would be a very unpleasant occupation to again go through the evidence given by me on the trial, but I must with your permission refer to some portions contradictory of Mr Burnaby's assertions, He says that I commenced the dispute "as admitted by my own evidence." In no por tion of that evidence will the! e be found any such admission. On the contrary, Mr Burnaby commenced the affair by au offensive remark and gesture respecting the shooting, ac companied by a coarse and vulgar expression. My reply contained no such expression, and could only have been offensive to him by the truth of the desire it expressed— viz , that the sooner his friend did give up the shooting, as he recommended, the better I should like it if he brought down such sportsmen as him. This was followed by an insulting and offensive rejoinder by Mr Burnaby---" the war of words then waxed wrath." I deny most positively that I ever invited him to fight, and this denial was corro borated on the trial by the evidence of Mr Walmisley. The fact was Mr Burnaby was himself the challenger—he fired off his gun and commenced to square up to me, and it was only from my threat to use my gun that he did nut then strike me. A reference to your report of the evidence will corroborate the truth of this statement. What Mr Burnaby means by his allegation that I offered to " give him a sound thrashing," and that when he expressed his willingness to accede thereto, I threatened to blow his brains out, I do not know. But does not even this vague expression contradict what he desires should be inferred from it F I also deny most emphatically, Sir, that the defendant, through his two friends and brother officers, in any way expressed his willingness to withdraw any expression of his calculated to hurt my feeliegs, upon my doing the same. As I stated in my evidence, and as was the fact, an apology was demanded of me, and as an inducement for giving it I was told that Burnaby was a queer fellow to deal with. Feeling, sir, that the apology ought to have come from him, I declined to make one. This, however, is merely begging the question. My com plaint was, and is, that we afterwards proceeded with our shooting, and after the lapse of two hours, the dispute hav ing apparently ended, Mr Burnaby, taking advantage of my having parted with my gun, came rip to me, and what then took place I will give from your own report of my evidence, which is strictly correct. "Mr Burnaby then walked up to me and said, 'Do you mean to apologise ?' I said, Certainly not.' Befeee the words were out of my mouth he struck me with one hand under the eye and with the other on the temple, and almost stunned me. He then kicked me with all his force on the hip, and followed up the blows. He struck me in the face two or three times without stopping. I endeavoured to parry the blows as well as I could, but did not attempt to strike the defendant Re then stopped to take breath and again proceeded to strike and kick me. He kicked me in the groin inside the thigh. lie hit me on the side of the head and other parts of the body. He again stopped and asked me if I had had enough, and would I apologise. I said, Certainly I should not apologise, but that he should hear of the matter again.' He then commenced hitting me again, and struck me a violent blow in the mouth. He then kicked me on the top of the knee, and, as he did it, I caught his foot and tried to throw him. 1 could not do so. He hopped on one leg, and kept hitting me with all his force on both ears." The above, sir, is an account of the attack made upon me by the defendant, whose demur that he ever kicked me while upon the ground, and that I never was on the ground at al ) , was entirely gratuitous, because I never asserted anything of the kind, either on the trial or elsewhere. As much reliance may also be placed upon his statement as to kicking me twice behind. My back was never towards him. All 'he wounds and bruises about my person as eLposed to by the surgeon on the trial were in front. Wi,h reference to the assertion that I " proposed to accept £5O damages prior to she hearing of the case," I beg to give this my most emphatic and unqualified denial. Neither I, n.y solicitors, nor counsel at any time ever solicited any arrangement, nor were any overtures ever made on behalf of the defendant until after the jury had retired to consider their verdict, when, as my solicitor informed me, an offer had been made to him by the defendant's counsel to give me a verdict for £5O and an ample apology, but L declined acceding thereto, considering that the offer had come too late. Mr Burnaby very ingenuously acknowledges and appears to be proud of his proficiency in manly exercises, I would ask him, sir, in what do these consist ? If in striking, kicking, and otherwise brutally ill-treating one who offers no defence, I leave you and your readers to judge whether it is a proficiency to be proud of or for which he will find many admirers. In conclusion, I beg to state that the defendant's last as.. sertion as to my height, siz-, and age is as equally erro neous as the other statements contained in his letter,--I have the honour to remain, sir, your obedient servant, JOHN M. HOOKER. Brenchley, Kent, Dec. 19. The Weather in the Parks, A marked change took place in the weather during yes terday morning. The thermometer at the Royal Humane Society's receiving -house in Hyde-park, on Saturday night, was as low as 19 deg., and yesterday morning tho glass was not higher than 30 deg,, and by noon the mercury rose to 37 deg„ being 5 deg, above freezing point. The barometer yesterday morning at nine o'clock was 29,7, and the wind at that time was E.S.E., but in the evening it veered round to south, indicating a storm of wind or a fall of rain, Later last evening the thermometer indexed 38 deg., with soft clouds rising from the south, threatening wet. The sudden and unexpected change in the weather has caused a remarkable difference in the appearance of the royal parka and the streets of the metropolis, Instead of the snow crepitating under the feet of pedestrians, nothing but im mense sheets of mud could be seen, which caused a great annoyance to passers along the footpaths of ,the London streets. The parks are hardly much better, for the carriage drives are several inches deep in mud, and Rotten-row has carried out its name to perfection, that it is at present so rotten that persons on horseback can only with difilmlty pass along the drive, In spite of the change of the weather a great number of boys ventured upon the royal Round Pond, in Kensington -gardens, and had it not been for Mr. Superintendent Williams sending a number of icemen to drive them off, the probability is that several lives would have been sacrificed. As it was, several of the more ven turesome broke through the ice and fell into deep water, and one of them got immersed up to his armpits, and another had the water over his head. Fortunately, the timely aid afforded was the means of getting the parties out in safety. The Regent's -park and the Serpentine still remain partially frozen over, and in the event of the frost setting in with increased violence, Mr. Young, the secre tary, and Mr. Williams, the superintendent of the Royal Humane Society, were actively engaged with a number of workmen in raising the canvass tents so as to form tempo rary hospitals. POACHING AFFRAY NEAR MALTON.—Tne Mel ton magistrates, on Saturday, investigated a charge of Right poaching preferred against two labourers, named James Kitohing and Jo,,eph Cooke. The affray occurred on Sunday night week, in a wood at Eisthorpe, the pro perty of the Earl of Carlisle, and occupied by Mr G. A. Legard. John Coclrerill, coachman to Mr Legard, stated that the gardener, James Botterill, had come to tell him he had heard shots in the woods about 7 o'clock. Witness got the assistance of two other men, one named John Hard wick, and another Charles Kirby, son of Lotd Carlisle's bailiff, About 8 o'clock, witness and Butterill heard ano ther shot in the middle of the wood, and went there. He saw two men standing with guns, looking up into the trees, and he at once keized Cook, struck him in the neck, tend both fell together. A struggle then had taken place to gain possession of the gun, and witness was being over powered, when Botterill came up and hit Cooke two blows on the head with a stick, which "quietened" him. When Hardwick came up theiprisoner Kitching met him,holding his loaded gun by the muzzle, and threatening to strike with the butt end if the watcher did not keep back. Kirby, however, Was up directly afterwards, and at once rushed at Kitching, and made him a prisoner, Cooke was a good deal hurt about the head. Both men denied that they had been in the wood before eight o'clock, and alleged that only one shot had bean fired, and that was by Cooke, Kitching said that seeing his mate " ham -1 mered'' on the head and bleeding, he was coming to his assistance, and only rxiaed his gun to defend himself. Both said it was their first offence, and pleaded hard for mercy. Kitchen had a wife and 14 children, and Cooke had a wife and four children, The Bench said as the prisoners had not injured the watchers they would send them each to two months' hard labour, then to find sureties for twelve months' or FiX months' longer irn prisoluaent, CI, *' ) t1 . N .. 1 - t*.9 fr OM rt 1t.. 44 „ g l lM llar ~...,....... V , ........ • •, - . __..... RER MAJESTY. OsßcatNE, D eo. 19. The Queen and Princess Helena drove out Ibis morning. Princess Louise also drove out, attended by the Hon. Florence Seymour. Prince Leopold and Princess Beatrice walked in the grounds. The E tr: and Countess Grey have arrived I ,t Rome. it is said that the noble earl and countess 101 remain abroad until after Easter. The Elrl of Coventry has left Thomaki'd Berkeley-square, for Paris. Viscount and Viscountess Holmesdale have bees receiving a succession of guests at Linton House, during the past week. Mr and Lady Ch ar l o tt e S c h re ib er and M iss Guest have left Exeter House, Roehampton, for Or° Longueville, on a visit to the Marchioness of Handy. The Hon. Mrs. Ch a rl es H a y was sa fely deliver ed of a son on the 18,h inst., at her residence, 33, Colosso" place. Accounts have been received from Japan announo" ing the death of Captain the Hon. Adolphus Edward r; Vereker, of the 20th F oo t, fi rt h an d youngest son of Vis e°l2 , Gort, He was formerly in the 6 t h West York Milit ia, and in 1855 entered the 20th Regiment as lieutenant. T he gallant young officer served with his regiment in the Crimea. COMMUNICATION BETWEEN RAILWAY PASSE.; GERS AND GUARDS —Th e railway companies hav e r g be, are inforuiel, been given to un d erstan d t h at t hey mu adopt some m eans to esta b l i sh a commun i cat ion tween passengers an d th e guar d s o f trains, or t h e Croy° ll, ment itself will pr es c r ib e a met h o d for effecting t h a t object. and A committee of r a il way managers has been form ed, o they have received pl ans from upwards of 200 persona, 11°ve of which, however, h ave g i ven entire satisfaction. The bee t ~ , submitted are th ose ca ll e d T attersall ' s and Wood fi e lds ; the former eff ec t s th e communication by means of mec h a nic''' ~ force, and the l a tt er b y means of' electricity. Mr Preece, en! superintendent of the Electric and International ConV" A at Southampton, has submitted a plan to the London an : South Western Railway C ompany , who immediate l y uncl e a r , took, at their own expe nse , to g i ve it a fair trial. Accord ing to this plan a tassel is hung just above the passeng er head, connected by a rope to catches at the opposite cool of the carriage, and t h ese catc h es i n moving caus e two ga s ... concealed semaphore arms t o project from the carri a g e; The arms are conn ec t e d w i t h a small electric battery in t guard's van, and as they fall from a concealed vertical l es !: lion to a horizontal projecting one they cause an electric ett , rent to be completed an d r i ng an a l arum ball in the van. 'rhea bell continues to ring whil e th e arms preject, and the l a t ter are placed BO that th e y can on l y b e restored to a ve rtical position by the guard comi ng t o th e carr i age. On hi s 100 , ing out these arms a re v ery o b v i ous b y day, and by night could be made so by sma ll l amps f i xed and lighte d n ea r 0 them. A hand- ra il runs a l ong the carriage, wh i c h ft up or down at the doors, and by which the g uard c; easily and safely pass t o th e carr i age from which an a larm proceeds. The semaphore arms, when in a horizontal ro; sition, are concealed in a neat frame which is an °main° to the carriage, and the electric wire with a hook at the end runs from the fra - ne under the carriage, the wire of on° carriage being coupled to that of another in a moment the means of the hooks. S ome persons have thought t h a t 41 1 use of electric batteries would be an objection, but thes e batteries are now constructed so as not to require ael attention for months together. The expense of fitting 1 • 1 P the passenger rolli ng stoc k o f the London and 6°4'l, Western Company yould not, it is said, average 40 °' carriage. NEWSPAPERS FOR RUSSIA.—Since issuing t he notice No. 38, dated the 24th October last, respecting t he conditions under which alo ne newspapers can be forwar ded by the post to R uss i a , t h e Postmaster General has been la" formed that an exemption from the ordinary regulation° exists in favour of political newspapers, or of any ot her publications, addressed to mem b ers of the royal fancily °f Russia, to the imperial ministers, and to members of 113 e diplomatic corps. Such newspapers, &c., it is now stated, will be admitted into Russia although not subscribed for at one of the Russian post-offices. It appears, also, that non' political newspapers and publications may be received by the post, not only when addressed to established Weir sellers in Russia, as already announced, but also when addressed to the higher schools, to the Imperial Publ ic Library, and to the Academy of Sciences in command of the Postmaster-General. IHE EARL OF HARROWBy ON BIBLE DIFFICO' d TIES. —The Earl of liarro w by has been presiding a t a meeting of the Stafford branch of the Bible &jay. lordship took the opportunity of recounting an intervie ° which he had the pleasure of holding with that distin' guished and venerable man, the late Lord Lyndhurst' who had been engaged much in his advanced years in studying the Bible and all the controversies which h ad arisen about it. In conversing with hie, the late dietini guishod nobleman took th e opportunity of saying :—`! these controversies don't trouble me; the difficulties that are raised here and there by controversialists about thentil n : ber of the Jewish people and various minor points do not trouble me, for I think it ought to be, and is, enough f °l ; me that our S a vio ur said, If a man beli eve no t Moses and the prophets, neither will he be persuaded though one rO 5B from the dead.' That is enough for me, and settles all roY doubts," Ile thought if that declaration of Christ %vs ° enough for so distinguished a man as Lord Lyndhut st i with all his acuteness of intellect and his habit of strict hi' vestigation of evidence, it ought to be enough for them, w ho could not pretend to rival him in those qualities. It was no doubt distressing to have doubts and difficulties raised, seine of which we were not always able at a moment to settle* ? ; but he thought that when anyone looked back to the his. tory of the Scriptures, that had been received as the un doubted record of Divine truth from the time of our Saviou r to the present moment—upwards of 1,800 years—unqu es. tioned by any church or any heretic, acknowledged by all t° be the authentic record of what our Saviour and his apostles said and did, and to contain all that was warranted by etir Saviour and his apostles as the inspired records of the Jew; ish nation before hi m , h e t h ought when they remem b e rs; this they must feel we had sufficient evidence to Beast), our` selves that, althou g h d ou b ts might arise which we could not instantly quell, the difficulties of unbelief would be in' finitely greater. (Appl ause .) Recently men have been led to deplore the appearance in France of a popular work wh ich although expressing f or th e c h aracter of Christ the utraef3t admiration, associated with that character the extraordi` nary supposition that one who preached and practised every _ virtue was at the s a m e a person who palmed upon o ther° miracles and pret ens i ons w hi c h were totally unfounde d. 1 ; was shucking th a t a b oo k o f such a nature should circu late —it shocked every Christian feeling—but at the same ti l l from all acc ounts w e h eard from France, the effect apPetuL to have been just th e reverse of that which might 116'. been at first expected. People were buying Bibles and les ; taments for the purpose of hearing more of this Jesus, a n d seeing whether it was possible that a man of whose lifol o doctrine so much had b e e n sa id i n pra i se could pose iblY the imposter he was represented, and it so happened t i3P f controversy, with all its evils, hail the great advantag e ° , l stirring and awakeni ng i nqu i ry, which they, who be lieved in the Scriptures, had, no doubt, would result in the CO l3l' plete victory of truth. MILITARY CHANGES.—A meeting has taken P luce between the Secretary of State for War, the CJ °l ; mender in Chief, and th e ' principal offici a l s o f the Il e r ro u Guards, in order to see if aay diminution of number ra i b, u „ be made without any un d ue inter f erence with the e fficien'l .. of the army. The fir s t b ranc h o f t h e serv i ce in w hi c h it al peered some sacrifice t o economy m i ght be cheaply ra6 e, consisted of the depot b a tt a li ons . I t was felt that there .00 really no necessity for keeping up separate depots for , ego p ments serving in the United Ki ng d om ; and as t h er e Was o t necessity for the depots, there could be none for the d e r,, battalions which they constitute, We have 35 battalionstuuo home service, and the six last depot battalions—fo ra y: a 17;h to the 23d—contain 35 regimental depots. It , iOOB therefore be regarded as certain that six depot britta . l ,_ to will be reduced from March 31, 1865. We are unable speak with accuracy of the meaner in which the redureacltive. will be effected as regards particular battalions. The of he don will probably involve an entire reorganisation ta g of depot system. Wi t h regar d to the reduction o f the !ow the six batt a li ons , it may b e ant i cipated that t h e six tbe officers of each rank w ill b e p l ace d on ha lf pay, Wt_t.llbe understanding that the very earliest opportunity Wit taken of replaci ng eac h as vacancies arico in other d e l ) ,, i 5. in line battalions, or in staff situation s f or w hich the placed officers may be required. Th e f o ll ow ing a re di es Lieutenant Colonels, Majors, a n d Adj utants w h o wilt fee, be placed on half pay :—Li eu t enant Colone l s rt (J oe moy—Fraser, B e l faet — Newdigate,Chatham—llen' t b ie e tr Elliot, Buttevant—Rickman, Chatham—and E Ltu ,s t ir.. Colchester. Majors Swinburne, Colchester—Bolde ro t i v i rs ling—Hughes, Wahner—Padfield, Cork—Blackettr ' ro t, cheater—and Meredith, Templemore. Adjutants at.. Belfast—Tarte, Birr—M 'Queen, Wahner—Colthurst,believ, ham—Hare, Aberdeen—and Northey, FerneoY• W e aet oell that this is the only reduction as yet settled ; but in c ; regt , as the two . depot companies will be shuck off ea e , thee li b s c .tta 4 meat, it is nut unlikely that the question of red two junior captains, lieutenants, and ensigns of each_ o go at lion at home may be seriously entertained. But kn n ow to t alarm need be felt, as we have good reason to red to just s e u whatever may be the change agreed upon, a individual interests will be exercised, and that the o P e e rto o merary officers will Le absorbed without sny Te r l, tioo of delay, It is not the least probable that any tru' care ful regiments or battalions will take place. Indecd s t . a _ .v t i l at estimate of our colonial and Indian wants will nt" ...rv i v g out the reliefe,—Ariny and 21 7 4 U Ortzt(ef , we cannot spare one, if we are to keep our word In csi 4 h f ltria eki4 4 t Qh 2 r, o t l l . l Oll 1) a ny r ()A t 01°-ia 4 tti u4a 0 010 .1) ( "Eini I)( t quA E, ° Qv/ D o Do D o Do .0 4401 I),:1 ti , k 4r; 11, 1 , 1