The Sun.
London, England, 1864-06-18 00:00:00

Metropolitan Board of Works.

The weekly meeting of the board was held yes-
terday,—Mr Thwaites in the chair.
The report of the Streets Committee was brought
up, and stated that, in their opinion, the best course
to be pursued for relieving Park-lane would be the
opening up of Hamilton-place, and that having re-
gard to the fact that the improvement exclusively
affects property belonging to the Crown, it is one
which should be carried out by the Government,
and rrcommending that a communication to that
effect he addressed to the First Commissioner of her
Majesty's Works.

Mr. DALTON moved the adoption of the report,
after which considerable discussion ensued as to
whether they had the power to make the street
without an act of Parliament.

Several amendments were propo3ed and nega-
tived, Lud ultimately the original motion was rut
and carried.

Mr. BOODLE moved " That the Building Act
and General Purposes Committee be instructed to
report fortwith on the letter addressed by Mr, Par.
sons, district surveyor of Lambeth, to certain
builders and other persons in reference to a state-
ment made by Mr. Robert Taylor, member of this
board, as to the manner in which Mr. Parsons per-
formed his duties."
It was also resolved that the board take into con-
sideration the desirability of petitioning Parlia-
ment to grant to this board the horse and carriage
duties levied in the metropolis for the purposes of
public improvements.
A letter received from the Hampstead and Char-
ing-cross Junction Railway Company was read,
agreeing to make a new street from Tottenham-
court-road, 60 feet wide, and to make a station on
the south side of Oxford-street, at the corner of
Crown-street.

The subject was referred to the Thames Embank-
ment Committee, with power to make the neces-
sary arrangements with the company.

Mr. E. I'. SMITH'S BENEFIT.—Mr. E. T. Smith
takes his benefit at Astley's Theatre on Monday. An at-
tractive bill of fare has been issued.

MADAME GRISI is to sing this season, as she did
last year, at the concert of Signor Ciabatta on June 25.

GEORGE ELIOT will commence a new story of
country life in the July number of the Corxhill 21fagazine.
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN'S PRINTING PRESS.—Mr.
Wyman, of the firm of Cox and Wyman, has presented to
the South Kensington Museum of Patents the printing
press at which Benjamin Franklin worked in London as a
journeyman printer.

DEATH OF MRS. HENLEY.—The family of the
Right Hcn. J. W. Henley, M.P., has just suffered a great
affliction in the death of Mrs. Henley. The deceased lady
was the daughter of Mr. John Fane, of Wormsley, Oxford-
shire, and was married to Mr. Henley in 1817, One of
their daughters is the wife of the Venerable Aechdeacon.
Denison.

WATERLOO DAY.—This being the anniversary
day of the battle of Waterloo, after a lapse of 49 years, 137
gallant officers above the rank of Lieutenant survive. The
rank of these officers may be summarised as follows :-21
generals, 19 lieutenant-generals, 28 major-generals, 25
colonels, 25 lieutenant-colonels, 15 majors, and 4 captains,
MADAME DE LAMARTINE —A brief sketch of her
has just been published in Paris, which tells the
world something of her domestic life. It appears that she
copied with her own hand all of M. de Lamartine's works,
except "Les Girondins." All of the "copy" supplied to
the printer is in her hand ; she kept the poet's own manu-
script as a precious treasure, which she knew posterity would
value as highly as she did. He wrote the poem " Jocelyn"
in a large album which he used for an account book, The
obverse face of the leaves contained the accounts of the la-
bourers in his vineyards, the reverse was covered with
poetry. After the poem was completed, and negotiations
with a publisher were carried to a successful issue, Lamar-
tine, pointing to the album as he mounted his horse to make
one of his usual long excursions, asked his wife to send it
to the printer. She opened it, and, seeing at first
nothing but the accounts of the labourers in the vineyard,
thought there must be some mistake. She examined farther,
and found the reverse face of every leaf contained
"Jocelyn." She laughed, took the album to her secretary,
and resolutely set to work to copy the poem. M. de
Lawartino thought his work in the publisher's hands, until
a week afterwards, when, as they were sitting down to
breakfast, she gave him the album and the unblotted manu-
script of" Jocelyn." The poet was so deeply touched that
he took a pen and wrote the three dedicatory strophes to
Maria Anna Eliza, which are to be found on the firs'. page
of that work. Who has not read them ? She copied 411 of
M. d a Lamartine's correspondence. She leaves a great
many letters scattered in the hands of friends, which N.
Dargaud, it is said, is colLecting with a view to publication.
They are represented as written with great talent.

POTATOES.—Thus far this is the best year for
potatoes that has been known in Cornwall for a
long time, and it is stated that there has never before been
anything like such a large importation to the London and
other great marke's at so early a period of the season. For
the past fortnight the average quantity da ly transmitted
from the western part of the country was from 115 to 120
tons. Several thousand baskets have been shipped from
the Scilly Islands to Falmouth, and thence forward per
rail. The labour in transferring from the narrow gauge
of the West Cornwall line to the broad gauge of the Corn-
wall line at the Truro station, has been very heavy, On
Wednesday above 150 tons of potatoes were sent per rail,
and on Thursday a train of 25 trucks and two engines con-
veyed an immense quantity to London and elsewhere.
Prices are unusually low. The local matkets are well sup-
plied, and potatoes of last year's growth, although in
excellent condition, are by no means readily disposed of.
This year's crop is turning out remarkably well, and as yet
there is all but an entire absence of disease.
THE LATE PROFESSOR FERRIES.—On 'Thursday
the grave closed over the most eminent and original
metaphysician whom not only Scotland but Great Britain
has of late years known. In the early death of Professor
Ferrier, Scotland has to mourn a worthy rep?esentative of
that great line of original thinkers, which, begir:ning early
in the last century, was carried on by David Hums, Adam
Smith, Thomas Raid, Dugaid Stewart, and Sir -WiLliana
Hamilton. Unlike, even opposed as he was to these in
many respects, in this he was one of them, that to the
highest and abatrusest problems of philosophy, heights too
rare for common men to breathe in—he devoted, with the
ardour of an ancient Greek, the best years and ripened
strength of his fins and penetrating genius. He has been
stricken down in the midst of his powers, when, as seemed
to us, but half his work was done, and while his mind was
preparing itself for a higher flight, and wider achievements.
Enough, however, he has left behind to be an enduring
monument of his genius, which England has already re-
ceived with ampler acknowledgment than his own country
has yet accorded.—Scotsman.
" WHAT'S LIFE TO You Is DEATH TO Mt !"---It is
said that a species of Toncan lives upon the fruit which
produces atrychnia, but an equally strange announcement
has just been made by Dr. Fraser with regard to one of the
Lepidoptera. It has been found by this well-known Scotch
physician that the larva of a species of moth lives upon the
Calabar bean, a drug now much in vogue among ophthal-
mic surgeons, and whose action on the eye causes rapid
diminution in the size of the pupil.

THE INEQUALITIES OF THE FRANCHISE.—A
correspondent, signing himself " Epsilon," writes
to us upon this subject, as follows :—I have submitted the
following facts to Mr. Gladstone, and have received an
official acknowledgment. I served 7 years' apprenticeship
and became a journeyman. I am now in business on my
own account, but am not an elector. How is it ? Thus.
A year ago I had business premises in the suburbs, and was
then an elector of Finsbury. As a matter of policy, however,
I took part of extensive premisesin the Strand,and thus have
become a lodger. Although Ido not reside at my place of
business, I am still a lodger, for it suits my present family
circumstances and tastes to prefer a suite of apartments in
a large house than to rent a small one. I pay a joint rental
of 36s 6d weekly, and also pay income tax. I have writ-
ten and reported for the press, often delivered public leo-
tures,written and extempore, on various subjects. I could
produce written certificates of character and suitable
ability from ministers and masters extending from theens
ninth year of my age. Nevertheless my country d
me, and tens of thousands as good as I am,
the great right
of citizenship. Is it generous—is it just to oblige us to
stand by, see others vote, and feel that we are but half
Englishmen ? I write this, respected Sir, calling
to mind several in my private acquaintance among working
men who would as conscientiously vote as any men among
the upper or middle classes. We hail, then, your recent
suffrage speech as the dawn of better times. Depend upon
it, sir, that the absence of agitation is no proof of apathy,
but of advancing intelligence in the lower classes. Clamour
was once the order of the day; but in proportion as society
advances from its boyhood will noise be distasteful. Never-
theless, if the Commons wish it, I hope they will have it.
LEFT ON THE FIELD.—On the person of one of
the Yankees killed in the fight at the Yellow
Tavern was found a bit of paper twisted in the buttonhole
of his jacket. It was a wretched pencil scrawl, evidently
written after his fall, and while death was putting film in
his eyes. It commenced :—" I, John Wilheimer, 2d New
York Cavalry. lam shot and dying. Whoever finds me,
send this to Sarah Wilheimar, Brooklyn Post-office, Now
York. She is my sister, and only relative in the country.
Oh, my poor sister I do not break your heart, but I am shot
through the breast and dying, and they have gone and left
me here." . . . What follows in this paragrakvhriitse toob-
literated by blood. The next sentence reads—"
Conrad Vitmare of our company—he owes me 50 dollars
which he will pay you. Oh, my dear sister, farewell."
The paper was taken from the body, and has been forwarded
north by flag of truce.—Richtnond Despatcit.