The Sun.
London, England, 1864-02-03 00:00:00

Death of the Duchess of Parma.

The telegraph brings us intelligence of the death,
at Venice, on Monday last, of the Duchess Louise
Marie-Therese of Bourbon, daughter of the late
Prince Charles Ferdinand of Artois, Duke of Berri.
The Duchess married, in November, 1845, Prince
Ferdinand Charles 111. of Bourbon, Duke of Parma,
who succeeded to the dukedom of Parma, Plaisance,
and the States annexed, on the abdication of his
father, Charles Louis, in March, 1849. His Royal
Highness did not long reign over his duchy, nor
was his short reign by any means peaceful or happy.
His career was cut short by an assassin, who stabbed
him in the abdomen with ft dagger in the streets of
Parma, on the afternoon of March 26, 1854, and
after lingering for two days he expired.
Immediately on his death the late duchess, his
consort, was proclaimed regent during the minority
of her son, Prince Robert; the Ministry of Parma
was dissolved, and Baron Ward, a protege of the
Austrian Government, was ordered to leave the
country, never to return. He had rendered good
service to the Austrians during the Italian revolu-
tion, and afterwards in the matter of the customs
union, and received, as reward, the Commander's
Cross of the Iron Crown and the dignity of Baron
of the Austrian empire.
It will be remembered that one of the results of
the late war in Italy was that the duchess-regent
found it necessary to quit her States, which were
annexed to Piedmont at the end of the year, not-
withstanding a protest sent by her from Zurich,
and the clauses in her favour inserted in the Treaty
of Villafranca.

The young duke, Robert 1., the present claimant
to the duchy, who was bora i❑ July, 1848, and was
consequently six years old at the death of his
father, has been living in retirement with his
mother since their withdrawal from Parma in 1860.
He has one brother and two sisters, viz., the Prin-
cess Marguerite, born in 1847; the Princess Alice,
born in 1849 ; and Prince Henri, born in 1851.

The Duke of Sutherland has arrived at Stafford
House, St. James's, frora Lilleshall, Shropshire.

The Marquis of Exeter arrived at his residence
in Grosvenor-square last evening from Burley-park, in
order to dine with the Earl of Derby this evening.

The Earl and Countess Grey have arrived on
Carlton-house-terrace from Howick•hall, Northumber-
land,

The Earl and Lady Constance Grosvenor are
expected in town tc-day from their country seat.

The Countess (Dowager) Spencer leaves town
to-day with her family for Gilsborough-park, Northamp-
tonshire, where they will pass about two months.

The Countess (Dowager) of Jersey, though still
confined to her bed, has been improving in health during
the last three days, and therefore has not been in so critical
a condition as has been represented.

Mr. and Lady Augustus Fiennes have returned
to Queen's-gate-terrace, from Broughton Casile, Banbury.

The Right Hon. the Speaker of the House of
Commons arrived at his official residence at the New Palace,
Westminster, yesterday evening.

The Right Hon. Sir Robert Peel, Bart., M.P.,
and Lady Peel have arrived at their residence in Whitehall-
gardens from the Secretary's Lodge, Dublin, for the meet-
ing of Parliament.

Admiral Sir Augustus W. J. Clifford, Bart.,
C.B„ the Sergeant-at-Arms of the House of Lords, arrived
in town last evening for the meeting of Parliament.

We understand that a marriage is arranged
between Mr. Reginald Dykes Marshal, of Cookridge Hall,
Leeds, and Miss Mary Stewart, eldest daughter of Rear-
Admiral the Hon Keith Stewart, C.B.

Sir Thomas Miller, Bart., and Lady Miller, of
G'enlee, Kircudbright, have left the Brunswick Hotel,
Jermyn-street.

Sir Henry Drummond IN olffe has left London for
Corfu.

THE MARRIAGE OF MISS LOUISA HERBERT,
daughter of Mr. William Herbert of Clytha, with Mr.
Walter Smyth, brother of Sir Frederick Smyth, is fixed to
take place on the Bth of next month, at Clytha,

THE MINOR PLANET 79 has been named
" Eurynome."

Mr. Walker, one of the Conservative members for
Beverley, having intimated his intention to retire from
Parliament, a large body of the electors invited Mr. Chris-
topher Sykes, a younger son of the late Sir Tatton Sykes,
to succeed him. Mr. Sykes acceded to the request, and on
Monday evening he addressed a meeting of the electors,
frankly expressing his attachment to Conservative prin-
ciples and policy. At the close of his address a resolution
was unanimously carried that Mr. Sykes would make a
worthy colleague to their other Conservative member,
Major Edwards.

THE MACAULAY MEMORIAL for Trinity College,
Cambridge, is nearly finished by Mr. Woolner.
The historian is seated in his college gown, with a book in
his hand—the fingers pressed into the open leaves, as if he
had been collecting points in an argument. The attitude
is graceful, and the face noble. It has not, we believe,
been settled where this memorial shall stand—some would
prefer to see it in Trinity Chapel, others in the Library,
the floor of whioh would have to be strengthened by sup-
ports in order to bear the great weight of marble.
Two QUERIES ABOUT THE NATIONAL GALLERY !
—ls the National Gallery fire-proof ? If not—
says the .Ithenceum—the sooner it is made so the better, or
all possibilities of the fate of the Tower Armouries, the
Custom House, and the Houses of Parliament, befalling it,
should be placed out of calculation. Independent of the
officials of the Royal Academy, who reside in the eastern
half of the building, one whole family, comprising several
children,:occupies the western half, immediately beneath the
picture-galleries. Can anything be done (also asks our con-
temporary) to lessen the annoyance arising from the noisy
trampling of visitors on the bare floor of the National
Gallery, and to prevent bright reflections of that floor, from
appearing in the glasses placed over the pictures ? We
suggest Kamptulicon for the purpose, as not retaining dust,
having a dull surface, capable of receiving colour and of
deadening sound.
REPRESENTATION OF CHATHAM.—A rumour
being prevalent that General Sir J. M. F. Smith, the pre-
sent Conservative member for Chatham, who has been for
some time seriously indisposed, does not intend to come
forward for re-election on any future occasion, a meeting of
the Liberal electors has been convened to determine what
steps should be adopted to ensure the return of a Liberal
candidate. Mr. 0 tway, who recently appealed to the elec-
tors of Brighton, contested Chatham, and was defeated by
the Conservatives at the last election, but since that period
a large number of Liberals have bsen added to the register.
THE GREAT NORTHERN DIVIDEND.—Mr. Oakley,
the secretary of this line, informs us that the direc-
tors have determined to recommend to the proprietors, at
the general meeting on the 20th inst., to declare a dividend
for the half-year to the 3:st December last, at the rate of
£8 15s per cent. per annum on the original stock of the com-
pany, giving for the half-year £°l7s 6d per cent. to the ori-
ginal stock, £3 per cent, to the B original stock, and £slss
per cent to the A original sock. These rates will make
the dividend for the whole year 1863 as follows, viz. :
L 6 lOs per cent on the original stock, £6 per cent on the B
original stock, and £7 per cent on the A original stock.
AN ANTIQUE STATUE OF SAPPHO has beta dis-
covered at the place anciently called Lithium, in the island
of Cyprus. The material is a marble common in Lesbos,
the native island of the Poetess—" Whore burning Sappho
loved and sung I"
A YOUNG ARTIST'S LIFE.—" In this volume
(says the Observer) is given a sketch of the life of a young
man very singularly gifted, which unhappily set quick as
a winter's sun. The young artist is spoken of under the
name of Leonard Holme, and the story of his brief and
promising career is told in an admirable manner. A more
interesting narrative we have seldom read, and no person
can lay down the volume without a feeling of regret at the
untimely death of the young artist, which brings the story
to a close. The author is Mr. Alexander Baillie Cochrane,
M.P. for Honiton."