The Sun.
London, England, 1855-08-23 00:00:00

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[PRICE 4D. STAMPED 5D-

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HEREFORD :MUSICAL F.MTIVJAL.

HnitEreun,./Atednesday.—The collection ;wide yester•
day at the doors of the cathedral for the benefit of the
clergy widows' and orphans' charity amounted to 1731.
17s. Bd. -
The first concert last night was attended by pearly
400 persons. The following is the programme for the
evening : _

• j'ArliT . • - •
Overture—(Jubilee)
Madrigal—" Merrily Wake," (rah Risser. _ _ •
mond) • • J. Barnett.
Scena—Madame Clara Novelle, "Ocean -
thou mighty monster." (Oberon) :WOOL,
Duetto—Madame and Mr. Weiss" Tu 10
eai." ( lroscari) ' Verdi;
Soong—Madame Grisi, " Cast a Diva."
(Norma)
Aria—Signor Mario, "Il mio tesoro." (Don , •
Giovianni)
.. ,
Duetto—Madame Clara Novello and 'Miss
Dolby, " Della Moss." (Le Prophets) M.eyerbeer.
Air—Madame Weiss, "Oh ! is it not a
pleasant thing." (Berta) H. Smart.
Terzetto--Madame Grisi, Signor Mario, and.
Mr. Weiss, " Guai se ti sfugge."
cresia Borgia) ' Donizetti.
Song—Mr. Sims Reeves and Chorus,
" Come if you dare." (King -Arthur) Parcell.
Between the parte : Fantasia—Pianaforte, Master Arthur
Napoleon, (Mose) Thalberg).
PART 11.
Overttire—(ig Wood Nymphs") W. S. Bennett.
Song—Mr. M. Smith, "Good bye, sweet
heart"
Romanza--Madame -Clara Novello, "Ma
negli estremi istanti" ("11 Giuramento") Mercadante.
Sims Reeves, "Sad wee_ the •
hour." (Berta) . Sniiri.
Duette—Madame Grisi and Signor Mario,
" Mira la bianca lung."
Scotch Song—Miss Dolby, "Over the sea." Mrs. Groom.
Song—Mr. Weiss, "The village black-
smith." W. H. Weise.
Quartetto—Madame Clara Novello, Miss
Dolby, Mr.' Slll2ll Reeves, and Mr. Weiss, •
" Un di, se ben rammentoini" (" Rig°. .
lotto")
Chorus—" The tiger couches." .. Sir H. Bishop.
The scena from Oberon, "Ocean, thou mighty monster,"
introduced Clara Novello, who was warmly received (as
were also subsequently 'Mario and Grisi, Miss. Dolby
and Sims Reeves) and outdid herself in this glorious
piece. In the opening note of the scena her magnificent
voice rang through the spacious ball with its peculiar
clearness, and altogether this piece was in our opinion
the gem of the evening.
Between the parts Master Arthur Napoleon played
one of Thalberg's pianoforte fantasias. A good deal, of
interest was excited by the appearance of this youthful
txecutant.
The attendance at the cathedral this morning was very
much better than yesterday. This morning was devoted
entirely to Mendelssohn's oratorio of "Elijah." To
Mr. Weis was allotted the part of the Prophet, and
Clara Novell°, Miss Dolby, Mrs. Weiss, Miss Mose,
Sims Reeves, and Mr., M. Smith, all assisted in the
principal soli. A great treat was anticipated in the
rendering of the air, "If with all your hearts," which
was given to Signor Mark' and heavy was the disap-
pointment experienced by all who listened to his handling
of this beautiful air, sung, without any of the pathos or
feeling which we have been accustomed to hear thrown
into the passage.
Clara Novello sang the opening air to the second part,
" Hear ye, Israel," and, we need not say, did full justice
to it. .

Among the company present were the. Lord Bishop,
with Mrs. Hampden and Miss Hampden, the Countess.
Lncan, Lord •William Graham, the Ladies' Thngham,
Lady Charlotte Montgomery, Lady: Emily Foley, Lady
Langley, the Hon. and Rev. George Herbert.and Lady
Harriet Herbert, Archdeacon Lane Freer, Archdeacon
Thorp, the Hon. Captain Elanbury, Mr. King King
M.P., Mr. Booker, M.P., Sir R. Price and Lady Price,
&c., &c.

Pr 7::
THE ItTIMIAN IPZIOATSIA
DIANA. •
•
The Friend of China, just received, contains thil:Tapc-px
following account of the loss of the, Russian frigateiZ
Diana Nil a
" The Russian frigate Diana, haring Vice-Admiral •_
Poutiatine on board, was lying in the harbour at tha
time, engaged in finishing up the treaty they had made
cir
with the Japanese. , Immediately after the shock wee ;‘,1:.41
felt, the water in the harbour became convulsed to sick
a degree in eddies and whirlpools, that, in the space of
30 minutes, she swung entirely round 43 times, twisting
her chains up into knots, rdo rapid was the motion, that
the people on board. &ink "not keep their feet, and all
were made kiddy. When the sea, receded, it left the -
frigate in eight feet water on her side, when her usual
draft was over 21 feet. On ita return, they stated, the ;i1
water rose five fathoms above its ordinary level. On its c, -
again receding, four feet only of water remained, so that ;,,3
they saw' the stocks of 'their anchors above the water. '
The heaving of the bottom of the baksvaellien so violent
that the frigate, although, as I sai4 in only four feet
water, was moved bodily past her anchor. The officers
momently expected that the bay would become the out.
let of subterranean fires, and that-they should be ea-
gnlphed in it. When the frigate again floated they saw
her keel and rudder, which had been wrenched off, float-
ing alongside, and the ship filling with water, .87gettinz
sails under her, they managed to keep her stoat, asi
the next day, things having got quiet once more, they
hauled her off into deeper water. Occasional shocks of
earthquake still continued to be felt, but none were at.
tended with serious consequences. After repairing da-
mages as well as they could, aid having rigged a tem- •
porary rudder, and the weather becoming fine, they at-
tempted
to take the ship round to another bay, whore
she would be less exposed, and they could complete re- ,
pairs (Simoda being badly adapted for such a purpose), '
but when within seven miles of their harbour, a gale a
sprung up the one hundred Japanese boats that
were towing them abandoned them (not, however,
until they had got out all the officers and crew), and
shortly after the gallant ship sunk in deep water, the
officers and men saving only the clothes they steed
in. Notwithstanding all their misfortunes, and the
danger through which they had passed, they only lost
oee man, and he was accidentally killed by being jammed
by one of the guns which had got adrift.
"We have been favoured with a copy of a letter ad. •
dressed to a gentleman here,giving slew more particu-
lars of the catastrophe. The French whaler Napoleon
111. arrived at Simoda sometime in January, and would
have been captured by the Diana's men had she re-
mained there six hours longer than she did. The fact
should not be overlooked that the wretched Dianne were
perfectly prepared to put neutrality aside, in capturing
this vessel in neutral waters, had they had the oppor-
tunity."

EXECUTION OF REBELS AT CANTON.

(Front the Friend of China, March 14.)
In our remarks on the retirement of the rebels from
Suncow, in another column, it is stated that the thou-
sands of men brought to Canton as prisoners are now
being decapitated at the rate of a hundred and fifty
a-day. That was the number, we were told, executed
on Saturday last, a spectacle to which we were witness.
The Canton execution ground has been before described
in this journal, and for all our readers it is not necessary
to repeat that it is situated about a hundred yards from
the river at a distance of twO miles or so below the fac-
tories. The ground is oblong, about a hundred and
fifty feet in length—the entrance on the side nearest the
river being about six feet. This is closed with bars
during practical operations. At the grand entrance the
ground is about 20 feet wide. On the right hand, door-
ways open on to several oven and tile manufactories.
As we approached the execution ground many were met
with bands to their nostrils, or with their tails tied
round their faces, for the purpose of avoiding the horrid
stench which could literally be "felt" at a considerable
distance. The ground was covered with partially dried
gore, the result of the past day's work. There are no
drains to take the blood away, -nor is any substance
used to slake it. One man was found digging holes for
two crosses, on which he said four were to be tied and
cut in pieces.
The execution had been fixed for noon. At half-past
11 half a dozen men arrived with the knives, preceded
by bearers of rough deal wood boxes, decorated with
bloody sides—these were the coffins. Unconcern was
the general appearance of the soldiers and spectators, of
whom, altogether, there may have been 150. The day
was dull, a fresh breeze from the eastward carrying the
stench away from foreigners, who, to the number of
a dozen, had obtained admittance to the top of one
of the houses on the far side of the street passing
the entrance of this " field of blood." At a quarter to
12 the first batch of ten prisoners arrived, speedily fol-
lowed by the rest in similar quantities. Each prisoner
(having his hands tied behind his bawl, and labelled on
the tail) appeared to have been thrust down in a wicker
basket, over which his chained legs dangled loosely, the
body riding uncomfortably, and marked with a long
paper tally, pasted on a slip of bamboo thrust between
the prisoner's jacket and his back. These " man-
baskets," slung with small cords, were carried on bam-
boos resting on the shoulders of two men. As the pri-
soners arrived, each was made to kneel with his face to
the south. In a space of about 20 feet by 12, we
counted as many as 70 ranged in half-a-dozen rows.
At five minutes to 12 a white button mardarin arrived,
and the two to be first cat in pieces were tied to the
crosses. Whilst looking at this frightening process the
execution commenced, and 20 or 30 must have been
headl.ss before we were aware of it. The only sound to
sheen—cheep—cheep, as the
knives fell. One blow was sufficient for each—the head
tumbling between the legs of the ♦ictim before it.. As
the sword falls the blood-gushing trunk springs forward,
falls on the breast, and is still for ever.

In four minutes the decapitation was complete; and
then on the other victims commenced the barbarity
which to think of only is sufficiently barbaric. With a
short shsrp knife a slice was cut out from under
each arm. A low suppressed fearful groan from such
followed the operation of the weapon. Dexterous
as butchers, a slice was taken successively by the
operators from the calves, the thighs, and then from each
breast. We may suppose—we may hope—that by this
time the sufferers were insensible to pain ; but they were
not dead. The knife was then stuck into the abdomen,
which was ripped up to the brealit bone, and the blade
twisted round and round as the heart was separated
from its holding. Up to this moment, having once set
eyes on the victim under torture, they had become fixed
as by fascination ; but they could be rivetted no longer
—a whirling sensation ran thrLugh the brain, and it was
with difficulty we could keep ouree!ves from falling.
But this was not all ; the lashings were then cut, and
the head, being tied by the tail to a limb of the cross,
was severed from the body, which was then dismembered
of hands and arms, feet and legs, separately. After
this the Mandarins left the ground, to return, however,
with a man and woman, the latter it was said, the wife
of one of the rebel chiefs—the man a leader of some rank.

The woman was cut up in the way we have described ;
for the man a more horrible punishment was decreed—
he was flayed alive. We did not see this, but it was
witnessed by the sergeant of Marines of the IT.S.S., J.
P. Kennedy—the cry, on the first insertion of the knife
across the forehead, and the pulling of the flesh over the
eyes, being most horrible. But enough ! Such is an
episode of this revolution in China—such some of the
last acts of the Mauchou dynasty. It is impossible inch
a government can exist much longer. Humanity must
make common cause against the demons who can per-
form deeds inch as these.

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

MIDLAND.

The half-yearly meeting of the proprietore was held
yesterday at Derby. Mr. Beale, deputy-chairman, pre-
sided, in the absence of Mr. Ellie, the chairman.
_

Mr. SANDERS (secretary) opened the proceedings by
reading the report of the directors.
The CHAIRMAN, in proposing the adoption of the re-
plrt, commented upon some of the variations that ap-
peared in the accounts, as compared with those of the
previous half years. After some discussion the report
was adopted by a large majority.
The next resolution, for the dividend, was agree(' t°
as follows :—" 11. 15s. upon each 1001. Consolidated
Stock ; 1/. is. 3d. upon each 1001. Consolidated Bir-
mingham and Derby Steak ; 3/. upon each 1001. Conso-
lidated Preferential Stook ; U. upon each 1001. Consoli-
dated Erewash Valley Stock ; ss. 3d. upon each HI. 185.
4d. share, being half-a-year's interest, at 41 per cent.,
upon 11/. 13s. 4d. called up ;
Consolidated Four-and-a-Half Per
Stock ; 14e. 10 d, upon
from April 24,
Cent. Preferential
per cent., from April 24, 1855 ; Pd. uP.II-es h Si. char°
ter and Hitchin Prefererietith' sir 0
cO. 015ba .iu Consolidatedupon
i ineear:
Oa paid on
1855 ; 14s. 100. upon each lf.
niApril aecoant of si.
24, 1855 " A,
shares, being interest thereon ro
.oof .
paid up, being interest at 4 per cent.,
formal resolution for the Goa digbi n f:id-up shares
into stock of the ... r_
ffed vriiih a voer II
° agreed to,
the proceedings conc. u eof compliment te
ntinued
the directors for their co a elation to the Mire
of the company
—__.

rneting of the directors
Nvi,nly, WARRENPOINT, AND ROSTREVOIL
The tteheentchlarheanlfdlonearßlyo
was he onit, Liverpool, yesterday
afternoon ; Francis Shand, Ir.
''-'8C1.2 presiding. The report
of the directors stated that Mr. Dargan's lease having
expired on the 14th of May, and as no desirable offer
had been made by another party for leasing the fine, the
directors decided on returning possession, sad had
held
worked the line so far satisfactorily. Mr. ikoodwis, a
Belfast, the arbitrator chosen, had valued the rolling
stock of the company at 6,4291. 10s., and the stations
erected by the company at 1,5831., at which sums they
had been taken up for the company. A farther claim of
1,2201. of Mr. Dargan's was under oonsideration of the
arbitrator. Since the last meeting 5,000 6 per eeaL
preference scrip shares, of 21. each, bad been Witted, of
Which 2,312 were taken up by the shareholders, leaving
2,688 unissued, which are in the hands of the directors.
The report was adopted, and that ,being the only bas{o
ness to be transacted, the meeting separated.

The vendors of articles in the streets of Paris are
turning the popularity of the Anglo-French alliance to
profitable account. Most of their goods are surmounted
by banners bearing devices and inscriptions of an at,
tractive character. The bottles of Eau de Cologne are
put in good odour with the pasEers by, by a flag above
the stall showing the words "Vvint lee Allies ;" eves
beefsteaks are put under the protection 01 her most Garr
0.014 ILLldoty, 3il itc:, gcl so is sts istespiciwislialof