The Express.
London, England, 1852-11-24 00:00:00

NAVAL

ADMIRALTY, Nov. 23. PROMOTION.— Second
Muter F. D. Ilenwood, promoted to rnaster.—Aerotxr-
lienTe.—Surgeun Superintendent J. Bower, to Pyreases,
consist ship. Assistant Surgeon J. Toney, confirmed to
Salamander. Assistant Inspector of Steam Machinery W.
Lynn, to Portsmouth Dockyard. Second Muter G. W.
Grey, to Coast Guard. Naval Cadet H. F. Campbell, hie
firs nomination.

Tag llor Frewen M.P., has ad-
dressed the following letter on this subject to the Sussex
Express of Saturday last:—" Sir —I have been informed
that several of the Sussex bop planter. are about to peti-
tion the Mouse of Commons to take off the war duty, and
the 6 per cent. imposed by the act of 1840. 1 am very sony
to hear of this, because it will most probably end in our
remaining as we are. When the hop duty only produces
upon an average something like 270,0001., or 280,0001. a
year, if the planters feel the pressure of it, of course they
ought to ask to have the whole of it taken off, as it is so email
an amount of revenue for the government to give up. If I
may judge from past experience, I do not believe that a
preposal to take off one•helf the duty would be entertained
by the house. I should say that hardly anything is more
calculated to strengthen our cue in their estimation than
the fact of being opposed in their movement by the planters
in East and Mid Kent.'

TILE FUNERAL OF THE TWICE DE LEVU/URN-
/IEIW took place on the 4th at St. Petersburg, in the church
of St. John of Jerusalem. The Emperor of Russia was
present, as were the grand-dukes, his sons ; General de
Rochow, Minister of Prussia; General de Mensdorff,
Minister of Austria ; Sir Hamilton Seymour, Minister of
England ; Count do Reiset, Charge d'Affaires of France;
and the envoys of Holland, Greece, Bavaria, Denmark, &c.
The cortege was of great length, and consisted of large
bodies of troops, the principal functionaries of the court,
the members of the Beaux Arta and other public bodies,
the general officers of the army, the household of the
deceased, heralds, and the various orders of the deceased.
&c. The funeral car was drawn by six horses covered
with black caparisons, bearing the arms of the house
of Leuchtenberg, and led by grooms in mourning
cloaks; two aides-de-eamp of the deeeaacd and two
subaltern officers stood on the car beside the coffin ;
and the corners of the pall were held by lour
colonels of the guard. Tho Emperor and his sone
followed on horseback, immediately behind the funeral
ear, and were accompanied by a moat numerous staff,
all in mourning. The streets through which the cor-
tege passed were lined with troops ; awl when the car
arrived at the church, the coffin was carried inside by the
aides-de-camp of the deceased and other persona appointed
for the purpose, and was by them placed on a catafalque
prepared to receive it. The coffin was covered with the
mortuary cloth of an imperial prince, being gold brocade
trimmed with ermine. The decorations of the deceased
were placed on steels at each side. During the time the
bod' had lain in state, persons of all classes were admitted
to view the ceremonial, and all the theatres and plans of
amusement were shut. In the church, on the arrival of the
body, were assembled all the persons of the court whose
duty did not cause them to form part of the cortege. At
the funeral servios, the Archbishop of Mohileff officiated,
after which the body was let down into the vault prepared
for it, in the midst of a general salute of firearms from all
the troops present. The ceremony then terminated.
FALL OF A HOUSE, BARNSLEY.—COOLNESS.—
Last week the gable end of the Hare and Hounds Inn fell
down, fortunately without injuriag any of the inmates.
According to a local paper, a lodger sleeping in the room
adjoining the wall was not awoke by the noise, and on the
landlord going to him and telling him to get up, as the
house was falling, he made answer by saying, "It may fall
then: I've paid for my bed, and I'll take good care that I
have my sleep out." Thus the lodger laid his wonted time,
exposed to the weather and the gaze of a large number of
persons that bad been drawn there by the accident. This
story reminds us of the man who, being shaken up, and told
that the house was on fire, turned round again to sleep, and
said, " Well, you must speak to my wife, I don't meddle
with household affairs." And of the other member of the
same cool family who, when told in bed that his wife
had expired, nestled under the clothes, and murmured,
" Dear me, how sorry I shall be in the morning." There
is really something grand in coolness of this description.—
The Builder.

CELESTIAL PIIENOIIKNON.—On Thursday evening,
at some minutes before seven o'clock, a breed and brilliant
portion of the eastern sky, illuminated by the Aurora,
attracted the attention of many, from the light given forth,
which almost equalled that of the quarter moon. In a
few minutes a dark red stream was seen in the centre of
many colours, beautiful as those of the rainbow, and shoot-
ing up towards the zenith, a broad belt of the heavens
became almost the colour of blood, the singular phenome-
non, extending in an arch seemingly resting on the clouds,
about 30 degrees above the eastern and western horizon.
Suddenly the arch broke in the zenith, but in a moment it
again became entire, and the redone brightened, making
some of the spectators exclaim that the heavens were on
fire. In lies than ten minutes the portentous scarlet
of the sky was gone, and nothing was seen but the
flickering and evanescent beams of the moon.—Dundee
Courier.

PUERILITY or DESPOTISM.—This Milan corre-
spondent of the Opinrorro writes on the 13th. The little
news I have to communicate is of an unfavourable nature.
The astonishment and tear caused by the proms esomfre
and the continual arrests, decreed by the commission of
Meatus, are so general that every one is afraid to open bin
mouth. A word, a chance meeting, some imprudent ex-
pression used in a letter transmitted by the poet, are a tinfll.
cient pretext to justify domiciliary visits and imprisonment.
Some days ago, despatches having reached for General
Martini, the postmaster forwarded them to the general by
one of his employ. s, who wore a long beard. Whilst wait-
ing in the ants-chamber to deliver his despatebee and obtain
• receipt, the latter occupied himself in curling his mousta-
chice. The general, to whom the act was reported, pro-
nounced it to be indecent, disrespectful, and revolutionary.
After treating the man with great rudeness, the general
sent for the postmaster, and directed him to enjoin all his
innplop,s to shave off their beards. A barber, by his order,
proceeded forthwith to the post-o Moe for the purpose. On
the following day the whole of the anployea bad their china
es smooth as potatoes.
Buass'e Larrras To GEORGE Tuomeow.—The
my interesting swiss efletters which Burns addressed to
the lata Gears Thumma was sold on Wednesday by Mr.
Nisbet, at the acne et the sale of the library of the late Mr.
C. B. Tait. The volume was pat up at two hundred
keen competition, was knocked down
or two aftere awl slaty guineas. The purchaser is ea
&wilds as Memo misuse name has not yet transpired ; but
we are Ole to ammanunisate what our readers, we are as-
sured, willeeledee to learn, that there is every probability
that the Taken will remain in ficodand.—Edimburgh