The Sun.
London, England, 1864-12-23 00:00:00

Punch's Almanack for 1865.

Tennisl's illustrations of the Signs of the Z3diac
—some of them wonderfully tunny—are our chief
consolation this year for the absence, for the first
time, of John Leech, of dear, delightful, gratet ully-
remembered John Leech, from among the illustra-
tors of Punch's Almanack. Tenniel—always Lulu
vellously good in his drawing, even when his pencil
runs into its must grotesque txtravagances—seems
to us, here and there, in this Aimaneck for
1865—at his very best. The seasonable scenes
intermediately placed between the successive
pairs ot the Signe ot the Z .disc are very often
droller than the Signs of the Liaise theniseives. A
Royal Acsdemician—who else than J. A. Millais,
? that indefatigable book and magazine em-
bellisher condescends for once to contribute a
whimsical woodcut to Punch's Almanack. This
sketch represents the artist's own children indulg-
ing in a preposterous practical joke, played off by
rhea, in Papa's Studio, upon his unfortunate "Lay
Figure!'' A couple of knickerbockered boys (merry
young rascals!) " laying into" the poor wooden
lady, with the mahl stick, while the sumo number co!
pretty little girl-sisters are remonstrating with the
young pickers from behind the easle. One or two
of Charles lizene's- comic cuts are really comic, as,
for example, the second of the two in reference to
Bantingism. U. Du Maurier, in the number of
his pictorial oontribulions to the Almanack, is
very remarkable. More than that we can
hardly say. Altogether, Punch's Almanack for
1865 presents it purchasers with abundance of fun
and frolic, both literary and pictorial, in return
for their annual outlay of a threepenny bit.

ACCIDENT TO Two SOLDIERS FROM FALLING
INTO THE TRENCHES ♦T CHATHAM.—At a late hour on
Wednesday evening a serious accident occurred to Corporal
liodgcs and Private Bow, belonging to the 20th Regiment,
from falling into the trenches surrounding Fort Pitt,
Chaihain. The two men had been sent to the hospital on
duty, when t—ey appear to have mistaken their way, and
had walked into the trench, near the back of the lunatic
hospital, which is left entirely unprotected. When found
Bow was discovered to have sustained a serious fracture of
hie left leg besides other injuries, while those of Corporal
Hodges were of a trifling character. It is earnestly hoped
that the authorities will adopt the necessary precaution to
prevent a recurrence of these accidente.

HORSE FOR THE POOR.—Ic the last sitting of
the Paris Society for the Protection of Animals the vice-
president, Dr Bletin, announced that he had just proposed
to the Government that the sale of horse-flesh as an article
of food should bo permitted in the French capital. The
subject, he said, had been submitted to the Council of State
fur decision, but in the meantime the Sisters of St. Vincent
de Paul, Rue du Faucounier, distribute every Saturday to
the poor one or two horses, in addition to the beef contri-
buted by the Bureau de Bientaisanc,,4 Tao applicants for
that meat are so numerous, the hon. gentleman stated, that
all cat to eeltiEd4,:'..--Ciaiign4nti'_s aesiongor.

LATEST INTELLIGENCE.

[REUTER'S TELEGRAMS.]

ITALY.

TURIN, DEC. 23.

The King has issued a decree ordering, as a mea-
sure of public utility, the occupation of the con.
vents, seminaries, and other establishments, neces-
sary for the service of the State.

SPAIN.

MADRID, DEC. 22 (EVENING).

The Queen's Speech at the opening of the Cortes
to-day contained the following paragraph :—" I
am bound to state to you that the genera! condition
of the Monarchy, considered in all its extent, is not
very satisfactory ; and to remedy this I shalt lay
betore you a brit of great importance."
The Epoca considers this paragraph to refer in-
dubitably to San Domingo.
The same journal believes that a loan is indis•
pensable and urgent.

MADRID, Dec. 22.

The Cortes were opened to-day, The Queen's
speech states that the relations of Spain with foreign
Powers remain satisfactory, except with Peru, " the
Government of which State will finally be con-
vinced that justice is OD our side." Her Majesty
then expresses a hope that a perfect understanding
will be arrived at, without any stain upon the
national honour.

The Queen proceeds to state that the official cony.
munication of the Archduke Maximilian's accession
to the Mexican throne is the commencement of a
new era in the political relations between Spain and
Mexico, hitherto unfortunately interrupted. "The
South American Republics will see that the sym.
pathy of Spain has no admixture of ambitious
projects."
The Queen continues—" The Italian question is
still pending, and the revolutionary movement
which has been going on in that country has given
rise to fresh diplomatic combinations. As soon as
affairs are finally settled my Government will take
this question into consideration in the manner dic-
tated by prudence, without, however, failing in the
respect and filial love which Spain, as a Catholic
nation, professes for the common Father of the
Faithful.°

The speech, in conclusion, announces the intro-
duction of bills relative to financial questions and
modifications in the present legislation affecting
Credit societies. A bill oa the press law, in bar..
many with the Constitution, will also be brought
forward.

No allusion is made to Santo D3mingo.
The reactionist and moderate journals attack the
Government on account of the nomination of Mar.
filial Concha as President of the Senate.