The Sun.
London, England, 1864-03-21 00:00:00

BETTING AT MANCHESTER, SATURDAY.

Most of the members having returned from the Warwick
Meeting, there was a good attendance at our Subscription
Rooms. Betting on the Great Northamptonshire States
took a somewhat wide range, several horses being invested
on for that event. Gardener was in force, and closed at 10
to 1 (taken freely). Wingrave, Lord Zetland, Dollar, and
Touch-and-go were each steady, at the prices quoted ; but
an offer of 14 " ponies" against Blithfleld met with no re-
sponse, although in the earlier part of the afternoon 12 to 1
had been accepted about him. 109 to 6 was offered against
Fairwater ; and 20 to 1 was taken about Sheridan, 200 to 7
Flash-in •the-pan, and 50 to 1 Welbeck.—We did not per-
ceive a transaction on the Chester Cup ; and the only horses
supported for the City and Suburban were Voluptas and
Lord Burleigh,—For the Two Thousand Guineas Fille de
l'Air, Paris, Cambuscan, and Claremont were invested on ;
for the Derby, Hollyfox closed a better favourite than his
stable companion, Baragah.—Closing prices :

NORTHAMPTONSHIRE STAKES.
10 to 1 agst Gardener (taken freely)
10 to 1 agst Wingrave (taken and offered)
11 to 1 agst Lord Zetland (taken)
100 to 8 agst Dollar (taken)
14 to 1 agst Blithfield (offered)
14 to 1 agst Costa (offered)
100 to 6 agst Touch and Go (taken)
100 to 6 agst Fairwater (offered)
20 to 1 agst Sheridan (taken)
200 to 7 agst Flash in the Pan (taken)
33 to 1 agst Blondin (offered)
33 to 1 agst Alabama (offered)
40 to 1 agst Unien Jack (offered)
50 to 1 agst Welbeck (taken)
CITY AND SUBURBAN.
100 to 7on the field (offered)
25 to 1 agst Voluptas (taken)
100 to 3 agat Lord Burleigh (taken)
CHESTER CUP.
100 to 8 agst Change (offered)
100 to 7 agst Golden Pledge (offered)
TWO THOUSAND GUINEAS.
11 to 2 agst Fille de l'Air (taken)
6to 1 agst Paris (taken)
15 to 2 agst Cambusean (taken)
10 to 1 agst Claremont (taken)
THE DERBY.
50 to 1 agat Hollyfox (taken)
1000 to 16 eget Baragah (taken)

The Oxford and Cambridge Billiard Matches,

The single-handed billiard match between the champions
of the respective Universities of Oxford and Cambridge
was played on Saturday evening at the Volunteer Billiard
Rooms, 21, Leicester-square, in the presence of a very large
number of the past and present members of tho twe seats of
learning. On the previous evening Messrs. Payne and
Horne won the double match on the part of Cambridge, as
they did last year; and it being apparent that both players
had much improved, increased interest was created,
although it was well known that the Oxford representative
was an exceedingly fine player. The game was 500 up, and
at the commencement 2 to 1 was offered on the Oxford, and
100 to 30 was subsequently laid.
The last break bat one brought Mr. Starkey's score to
486. Mr. Payne then made a clipping red hazard, but
missed a cannon up and down the table. Mr. Starkey then
made 5, then three white hazards and cannon, bringing him
to 499. He now missed a cannon, but his opponent's white
ball rolled over the bottom pocket, into which ho quickly
poked it, and the game was over, Oxford winning by 27
points.
As amateurs both players certainly distinguished them-
selves, and their nerve and judgment at critical points of
the game would have afforded a wholesome lesson to many
professionals of this scientific and skilful amusement. We
may just mention that both the representatives of the Uni-
versities have played on previous occasions in a similar
match, although not against one another, but they encoun-
tered each other in the double match in 1862. They are
certainly the two best raven the Universities have hitherto
boon represented by,

The CHAIRMAN gathered from the cheers which
had followed the reading of the report that it
was not altogether unsatisfactory. (Hear, hear.)
The society had been now forty years in exist-
ence. At the end of the first twenty years they
had paid off the shareholders, and since that
time they had been going on, and had now ar-
rived at a tolerably mature age. The present
quinquennial investigation was, therefore, the
more interesting seeing that they had been
long enough in existence as testing the accuracy
of the foundations upon which the society was esta-
blished. Daring the peat 40 years they had made
steady progress. Their capital had been rolling up,
and they had now to deal with very large figures.
The assets of the company were calculated at
£2,300,000 and upwards. The premium income
was £214,000, and the total income amounted to
£307,000. The accumulations, therefore, in com-
parison with the statement of five years ago, showed
an increase of £475,000 to their property, that was
in addition to the sums paid as claims and in reduc-
tion of various liabilities. It was true they owed
rather a large sum, their liabilities being £7,200,000,
the present value of which was £3,359,000. To
meet this they had in hand £2,315,000, and five
years' purchase of the premium income would make
up the whole sum necessary to meet the valua-
tion of the liabilities. That he submitted was a very
satisfactory position to be in, and ono which he
thought must satisfy even the critical mind of the
Chancellor of the Exchequer. (A laugh.) Their
assets in fact amounted to no less than 30 per cent.
of the whole of their liabilities. He considered their
actuary (Mr. Downes) had shown great skill in
bringing out these figures, and the board had every
confidence that the surplus now presented was actu-
ally divisible among the policy-holders. The pre-
sent bonus amounted to £329,890 in hard present
money, which in reversion would produce £506,000,
which was a large sum. In 1858, the total sum
they had divisible was £304,000, or about
£25,000 less than they had now. As the business
had rolled on during the five years there had
been 2,600 policies added, and 1,400 had run off
in one way or another. It would be seen by the
report that the average bonus now to be declared
on the premiums received was 591 per cent., against
65 per cent. at the last quinquennial meeting. This
might atifirst sight seem startling, and some might
regard it as an indication that they were going down
bill, but the explanation he thought would be satis-
factory. In point of fact the amount was spread
over a much larger surface. It was an average ;
they had young lives at one end, and old lives at the
other; and unless they could get the old lives to go
off as fast as the young lives came on, there would
necessarily be a variation reducing the average, but
in favour of the old lives. The bonuses were, how-
ever, accumulative, and as time wore on the young
lives would obtain the advantage. There were
some 100 policies still in existence that ware issued
during the first three or four years of the society.
The number of policies during the past quinquennial
period was 2,611 as against 2,578 in the previous
five years; the amount assured by them £2,050,000
as against £1,875,000. The average number of
policies per annum was 528 against 516 in the
former period; the average amount of each policy
£777 as against £729; and the average of each
policy issued in 1863 was £893. This led him to
the conclusion that so far as they were concerned
they need not take much heed of the Government
Annuities Bill. (Hear.) The Chancellor of the
Exchequer was going into a description of business
which this office did not court, and they were willing
to Leave him to carry out his scheme as he best

MAZZINI'S MORAL DAGGER.—What M. Mazzini'i
" moral dagger" may be we know not. It is proved
from his writings that he advocated the use of the physical
dagger, and eulogised the men who slew tyrants such as
Caesar, and Rossi as an exemplar to those who might essay
the life of obstacles to republican liberty like Carlo Alberto
or Louis Napoleon. It is at least unfortunate for a Minis-
ter of the Crown in a constitutional country to have been
associated in his ante-official period so very closely with
the arch-enemy of monarchy and constitutions, and to have
very recently had, according to his own admission, rela-
tions with a man lately convicted, on the clearest evidence
to our minds, of having been in communication with a per-
son engaged in conspiring with other Italian desperadoes to
assassinate the Emperor of the French, M. Mazzin's most
detested and formidible enemy. Let us reverse the case
Suppose John Mitchell were in Paris, bent on illustrating
his peculiar modes of making war on the Saxon enemy;
that a band of conspirators were arrested in London.previ-
ous to an attack on the Queen or even Lord Palmerston,
among whom were Mr Mitchell's intimates ; and that it was
proved that Mr Mitchell was a constant visitor and personal
friend of one of the Emperor's ministers,—let us consider
for one moment whether public opinion in this country
would be satisfied by the repetition of the process in Par-
liament and out of it, which is considered sufficient to sa-
tisfy France. Mr. Stansfeld has done good service since he
has been in office, but he should not have been restrained
by any sense of personal dignity from giving such ample
explanaticns as shall satisfy national honour and good
faith.—Army and Navy Gazette.
Mr. E. M. WARD has just completed another of
the series of pictures with which he is commissioned
to decorate the Commons' corridors in the Houses of Parlia-
ment. This work has been executed in the stereochrome cr
water-glass material, and by its brilliancy and clearness, as
well as by the facility with which it has been produced,
testifies to the suitability of that method of treatment. It is
ogrneeaotihMonro.uNrVinardi'tss inteoeshtusicaucicesexsfeencies
successful .
The subject isl pictures, and does hits
"The Landing of Charles 11, at Dover, at the Restoration."
The King, who is splendidly dressed, after his taste, is step-
ping to the beach from his state barge he raises his hat in
salutation to the people assembled to welcome him, keeps
his head aloft and looks at them. A resemblance to Charles
has been admirably given by the artist in the face, with its
dark complexion, strong and rather harsh features, and that
debauched look he had. Foremost of the crowd stands
Monk, hat in hand, with a stooping, half cringing air, that
is clumsily courteous. Here again the likeness of the man
is excellent. Enthusiastic Royalists, and persons who were
ready to shout for anything, make up the groups of officials
and spectators. Among them is anold man supposed to have
suffered his beard to grow, pursuant to a vow to do so until
the King returned. Somedissolute-looking courtiers, young
men, stand in the barge, their heads being visible above the
roof of its cabin. One of the best figures in the design is that
of a young sailor, vociferously cheering, whose back is to-
wards us. The drawing of the bare legs and arms of this
man is bold, broad and true, exactly what is required in
works on the scale of this one. There is noteworthy solidity
in the painting of this figure and in some of the others.
Among those in the background of the group is a woman
holding up a child that it may look at the King. The land-
scape shows Dover heights, castle and cliffs. The'effect-of
slightly-broken sunlight, and all the details of the fore-
ground, such as the beach, the groyne, the barge, the sea,
fidelity.—Athenccum.
gently falling on the sand, &c., are rendered with extreme

PERFECTION OF MECHANISM.—"M engineers we can
say that it really approaches much nearer the perfection of
mechanism than any other examp'e of clock work we have
yet seen on anything like the same large scale."—Engineer,
Aug. 15, 1869. Clocks by the first artists of the day for the
drawing room, dining room, bed room, library, hail, staircase,
bracket, carriage, church, turret, railways, warehouse, count-
ing house, musical, and astronomical. Church and turret
clocks specially estimated for. Benson's illustrated pamphlet
on clocks (free by post for two stamps) with descriptions and
prices, enables those who live in any part of the world
to select a clock. Also a short pamphlet on cathedral and
public clocks, free for one stamp. Prize medal and honour-
able mention in classes 33 and 15. J. W. Benson, 33 and 34,
Ludgateb-y shili; a lii
London. Established
phepdou 1:49. Watch
t ou.
alm dckg
maker
Prince of Wales.