The Sun.
London, England, 1855-06-05 00:00:00

PRESENTATION PURM ESE MEDA LS.

Yesterday troreieg tr,c e'lifery medals granted by
the Hon. :Fest ny, commemorative of the
recent achie; ...ment 3 of the 1;: yti7h ^ relay in Burreah, and
which have early hun. 1. to several regiments
which took pert in the ,•2_rrinai, -vere distributed to
the 51st (Ring's Own) L.:-bt Infant' y-, now under orders
for the Crimea, by General Sir ff:, rry Smith, at Man-
chester, in the presence of is considerable number of
spectators.
The number of medals given was upwards of 400, the
recipients including Colonel Errington, Major Ander-
son, Captains Irby, Marston, Dickson, Madden, Agg,
Sheaffe, Cleeve, Mitforde (who was honoured by having
his medal pinned on by Lady Smith), Lieutenant C.
Acton ; Sergeant• Major Thomas Lawrence, Quartermas-
ter• Sergeant J. B. Hyde, Orderly Clerk Sergeant G.
Thomkins, and 30 sergeants, 24 corporals, 350 privates,
and 10 buglers.
Sir HARRY SMITH, at the conclusion of the presenta-
tion, after addressing each soldier separately, addressed
the regiment collectively, as follows :—Colonel Erring-
ton, and comrades of the 51st Light Infantry. It is,
I do assure you, highly gratifying to me to have had
this opportunity of giving to each individual officer
and soldiers these medal., granted by the Honourable
East India Company, and given to you by our most
gracious sovereign, It is doubly gratifying to me, also,
because it is but following the great example of the
most wounderfel lady id the world, our own gracious
Queen, who the othe: day herself—with her own noble
hand—distributed to those ve.liant soldiers who heve
fought in the Crimea the mY:l..ts which their blood and
gelllantry had earned for them ; and Icon assure you, 51st
Light Infantry, that it had been in her Majesty's power,
she would, with equal pleasure and honour to herself,
have given you with her own held thane m dais which I
have this day distribute- d. You must be aware, my men,
that a soldier can die only cnee ; and if he dies iu the
service of his country, whether by the hand of the enemy
or of disease, which is prevalent in camps, it is. equally
honourable to him and i 3 that country which upholds
its head above all the nations in the world. (Hear,
hear.) You are about, my men, to proceed on another
arduous service. I say arduous because many of
you know what it is to ha a schdier. The life of
a soldier is not that of a feather bed. We don't ex-
pect a comfortable bed, but enough to eat and drink—
(hear, hear) and fighting is all we look forward
to, and an endeavour to keep out of hospital. And now,
you old soldiers, try to teach the young ones what they
have to do in camp, and not to expose themselves unne-
cessarily to the sun, or to drink when they had better
be asleep ; teach them that our duty is to preserve our-
selves for the purpose of destroying our enemy. Then,
my men, we may obtain that glorious result of war--
peace. There is nothing so distressing to nations as
war ; therefore it becomes you all to struggle with
the greater energy to acquire for your country that
blessing of life—peace. And, cow, 51st Light Infantry,
go where you may, well do I know that you will up-
hold that character of the regiment which it has earned,
and which is written on its colours. Do your duty,

my men; tear no one, and look forward to promotion.
There is no reason why many of you now in the
ranks should not attain to elevated stations in her
Majesty's army ; and it is the desire of the Queen
and country to promote those who have shown
examples of gallantry, by the side of those who have
stood in the ranks like yourselves, and are now wear-
iog medals, and of:duel ;ish, r Majesty's service.
Bear this in mind that by .g::od co:::luct you can attain
to such a rn.217, and by bad Induct you become a dis-
grace to you,.. country, vb 7_, I ;.now you do not
desire to be. Let ~s ther::;lore hope tIJ, by your
assistance, th:3 war wi'l EOM ter.rloated, and
that when you coma to your land once more,
you will strut about the streets • gentlemen with
the medals which have been this day illstributl to you,
and with others that your gallantry will earn. Colonel
Errington, and comrades et the 51st Regiment, I wish
you all health and good fortune, and a continuance of
that honour and glory which you have previously at-
tained. (Cheers.)
On Wednesday next another interesting ceremony
will take place in the barracks—the presentation of new
colours to this regiment, in lieu of the old ones which
have been much damaged in the Burmese war.

The Isis frigate sailed from Brest on the Ist inst., for
the Baltic. The steam floating battery the Congreve
was launched o❑ the same day at Itochfort.
FIRE LSURANCE.—OOI. Sibthorp has moved for sun-
dry accounts; relating to fire insurance. The first gives
a detailed -ount of all sums paid into the Stamp-office

7 •
in Great It: in and Ira'.--M on insurance from fire for
- -

the four qrai -.rs of 1854. The amount of duty so paid
by the London offices during the last quarter of 1854 was
222,4681. tr, round numbers, a -Id the amount paid by the
country offices 93,687/. In S(,oCand the total amount of
duty colle3fed in 1854 we a 7.1.2671., and the sums in-
sured on farming stool; ,r.;,%:),3941. The grand total
amount of Ibe E airs insure iis the fire,offi:.: aof Englto ad
(nmluding London) on far., y ~.)ck exempt from duty
W3', in the whole of 1854, 1-,8,`..'02,2571. Al a specimen ,
of the met'.od nth Nvl7 -13 aid others reWtns are
compiled, it may be menCom.d that, in the return
rela,ing,, to England, no absz.rr of the grand totals has
been given, wh"o, apt regards Tre!and, both tho retioAs
of stamp duty and iniuranee on farming stock are left
thus imperfect.
THE METROPOLITAN COMMISSION OF SEWERS.—A
lo-
turn moved for by Mr. IVil!imis, 'ALP., shows that the
gross total amount of rates levied by the Metropolitan
Commissioners of Seerers the several parishes of the
borough of Lambeth, from 1343 to 1854, both inclusive,
was 91,3681., making, together with loans, contributions,
and other receii,ts, a gross total receipt of 152,8441. in
the seven years. Of the rates levied, 50,2381. were col-
ieeted in St. Mary, Lambeth ; 2,11t,3731. in St. Giles',

Camberwell ; and 20,755/. in St. Mary's, Newington.
The grand total expenditure in the seven years amounted
to 129,3721., of which 43,3661. was appropriated to the
cost of now works executed ; 4,2301, torep&rs ; 20,9071.,
to cleansing ; 4,4001., to surveys; 20.2531., to manage-
ment, including local supervision ; and 31,3511., to the
repayment of loans and interest. In the seven years
already mentioned, 72,2831. was expended in St. Mary's,
Lambeth ; 27,595 L, in St. Giles's, Camberwell ; and
29,4931, in St. Mary's, Newington. In 1854, the total.
receipts in St. Mary's, Lambeth, were 35,6921., and the
expenditure 26,754/. ; in St. Giles's, Camberwell, the
receipts amounted to 12;8541., and the expenditure to
8,827/. ; and in St. Mary's, Newington, the receipts
ar.iounted to 13,0651., and the expenditure to 11,0001.
The rates varied from 31. to 81. in the pound.
VISITATION OF THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY, GREEN-
wrm—The arena' visit•t+'no of this establishment

took place on Saturday last. Among the company pre-
sent we notice-I— Lord Wrottesley. President of the
Royal Seek i ; Sir Das4,l. Brewster ; Dr. Whewell,
Master of T.'nity Cope e, Caudir:dge ; the Rev. J.
Challis, Plurada,l Professor, Came ridge ; the Dean of
E'y ; the Rev. R. Sheeps',ank r ral W. H.Smyth ;
Messrs. Johnson, Rlle iile Onser, aa Oxford ; Adams,
llnd, De la Rae, J. E. Gray, Rai. Mrseum ; Gnat.
Washington, R N , hydrographer o t'ai Admiralty, &c.
From a report read to the board of r'-,tore by the As-
tronomer _Royal, detailing the labours of the astronomi-
cal staff during the year, we learn that, in addition to
the ordinary labours of the establishment, which cell-
ist in the regular observation of the sun, moon, planets,
&c., with the transit-circle of the moon, &c., with the
alaiziniuth, and the transmission of Greenwich time
along the principal railways of England, very important
extraneous operations have been undertaken, tending to
add considerably to the scientific reputation of the Royal
Observatory under its present able director. Besides de-
termining with precision the longitude of Paris by means
of the electric telegraph—a work which required some
weeks to complete—and also the preparation of a full-
size model of the transit circle, which has occupied the
time of the Executive for a long period, an expedition
was formed for the determination of the difference of
gravity at the top and bottom cf a deep mine, by obser-
vations of t ire oscillations of a pendulum. It is not ne-
cessary to giro all the details, but it is sufficient to state
that the spot t elected for these experiments was Harton
Colliery, near South Shields—a locality which was suit-
able for various causes. A band of observers from the
principal observatories in England was organised, who
made the necessary obserrat ens under the immediate
superintendence of Mr. Di:.:' of the Royal Observa-
toly. The result is as succsssfal as could be desire:!,
and shows that gravity is increased at a depth of 1,260
feet by its 1-19,000 th past. Amer the board had offici-
ally inspected the various departments of the establish-
ment, the company present dined at the Crown and
Sceptre, Lord Wrottesley in the chair.
HOCUSSING AND ROBBFIY. —At the Middlesex E:r;S-
&mils yesterday before Mr. Sergeant Adam, John Jones,
23, was indicted for having,stolen a gold watch and
chain, and 151. in Bank-notes, the property of Robert
Chisholm Hutchinson. It appeared that on the 7th ult.
the prosecutor, a master mariner, was in Gracechurch-
street, when a man a- :ced him the way to the Eastern
Counties Railway. The prosecutor said he would show
him to the Minories, and on their way thither they went
into a public-house, and had some ale. Therithey were
joined by the prisoner and another, and in the course of
conversation theprisoner said iehadjust been left 11,000/.
and sornehouses, and it was his intention to purchase a ship
and visit the colonies, if he could get some competent
person to navigate the vessel, upon which the prose-
cutor said that ho was a master mariner, and being out
of an engagement would acccept the offer if they came
to terms. They then proceeded to the Hutchinson's
Arms, in Devonport-street, .Commercial-road, where
four glasses of gin and water were called for. The pro-
secutor left the room for a short time, and was followed
by the prisoner, who begged of him to take a cigar in-
stead of a pipe. On returning he drank his glass of gin
aad water, after which he became insensible, and he re-
collected nothing until he found himself in the street,
when ho saw two of the men running away,
one of them having his watch and chain in his
hand. He gave chase, but they got clear off. On
examining his pocket, he found that three halves of Si.
notes which he had in VA port-monnaie, and the
three corresponding halves which he had sealed in another
ptwwlpocket,aaorcdefisda,
flash
hnhheahndwiostbaescps been icalkssdest
wegi nnobslftynreocr,adna.ilis ,Am
Moses's,bi
osmalun:i
ottdi
rabpati;
~irniodnbf,neoatarogihntfcen)dcsi
gm^go ilevhitteotnartoalaes
wgiiti
eettanlhsigy::
when he saw the prison,ffearornttdalvilichioniieghatroieirtoother man. He
sattaonndcinegrecaodgensispeedrahteime
gave hintinto custody. On the prisoner being searched two
purses, a gold watch, and chain were found in one of his
pockets, and in another four flash notes and five medals,
like those left in the prosecutor's pocket. These flash
notes were of the "Bank of Engraving," and were
issueCil by a printer in the New-cut. The jury returned
a ven lict of guilty. The Assistant-Judge made some
obser rations upon the impropriety of issuing these imi-
tation bank-notes. The prisoner was then sentenced to
be kelqt in penal servitude for 4 yew.