The Sun.
London, England, 1852-12-30 00:00:00

THE EXHIBITIONS.

•
Whose numerous places of entertainment in the
°Polis where amusement is combined with in-
q°4illetion, have, during the present week, been
largely,_ patronised by the holiday people ; and this
71 be taken as instance of the growing desire
leis°llg the industrious classes to devote their few
lire hours at Christmas, and at other occasions
general abstinence from labour, to something
foril is profitable as well as entertaining. The
wing are the principal places of resort of the
eription mentioned :
The Colosseum.—This has always been considered
°lle of the best sights of London, and its popularity
troises to increase the late reduction in the
of admission from 3s. 6d. to ls. That

much can be seen for so trifling a sum is as great
,nlllarvel as the Exhibition itself. A larger or finer
117tection of statuary is nowhere open in the great
trupolis to the inspection of the public. The
qle
of4ervatory, the stalactite caves, and the aviary
to rare birds, are calculated, in imagination at least,
transport one to the regions of fairy land. The
toss cottage is one of the most perfect illusions
t can be witnessed, and though now of no
iths_ceut date, never fails to attract a host of
i7rers ; and lastly, the panoramas of Lon-
-11, by day and by night, are productions
be°se merit and truthfulness have never yet
h,ell contested. Verily the days of cheapness
471'e arrived, if private enterprise can exhibit so
arlY objects of interest for 12d.
Polytechnic Institution.—The managers of this
„
i,7inently popular establishment have never ceased
I,llaaintain their well-earned reputation. No im-
tant discovery—no knotty question in reference
Science or art fails to be explained or elucidated
b
the able lecturers, and every subject is treated
familiar way, and, where possible, is ac-
k
to
illPanied by experiments and diagrams. In
teallY branches- of Imowledge valuable facts may
,Picked up here every evening which it is useful
t(ltilow in the daily affairs of life. Shakspeare's
ta:ndsummer Night's Dream," illustrated, is the
Wt novelty, and, like many other,s first brought
ard by the management, has been very success-
The.. " Endless Amusements of Chemistry,"
M
it r. Pepper ; the " Philosophy of Scientific Re-
ea, tion," by Dr. Bachhoffner ; and " Ballooning
C'l the present prospects of Aerial Navigation,"
~
Crispe ; embrace subjects enough to meet
her tastes of the crowds of visitors who will flock
e during the week.
40Burford's Panoramas.—The three beautiful pa-
ijalnas at Mr. Burford's well-known institution,
Waterloo,
The Alps," " The Battle of
and " Nineveh"—have obtained the
trati
qv •
on of all who have seen them. They dis-
-B,`l a degree of artistic skill and taste, which de-
41'1es the warmest commendation. In colouring
4general design nothing could be more beautiful,
to'lle for accuracy of detail those who are best able
Judge pronounce them to be unsurpassed.
Diorama of Jerusalem and the Holy Land.—
Cs diorama which has been painted under the
ection of Mr. W. Beverley, is about to close
e°ltly, and we cannot do better than recommend
gse who would wish to take a " pilgrimage to the
cV e Land" without being subject to the incon-
eience and delay of an actual journey, to avail
k,e,lllselves of the opportunity which now offers,
raay not occur again. Mr. Beverley's name is
theg as an artist to guarantee the supe-
'tity of exhibition.
ta,(la/tery of Illustration.—ln addition to the pano-
Ola of the Wellington Campaigns, which has
I,'e'l‘r become familiar to the public, and derive a
411 liar interest from the fact of its' having been
lted by the " great duke," and said by him to
" very good, indeed," there have lately been
'roduced the lying in state of that immortal per-
N4ago at Chelsea, the funeral procession passing
ihe'son's monument, and the lowering the coffin
11''''0 the vault at St. Paul's, and thus a complete-
te!s ig given to the pictorial record of the • events
torected with the illustrious hero which all will
't3'. appreciate.

- -
The Gold Fields of Australia, Regent-street.—
t". that the wonderful discoveries of gold in Aus-
a44a are attracting the attention of so many to
1/41't extensive colony of the mother country, a
1
414orama of the gold fields, givi g a truthful view
the country and its principle features is a desider-
kt
%1 which could not long remain unsupplied. Mr.
~
• Prout is, we believe, the first who has under-
keu the task ; his sketches are graphic and life-
e, and. something more than a mere attempt to
%e se the eye. All who contemplate a visit to
antipodes, or wish to get an insight, though
oPerfect, into society at the " diggins," cannot
better than pay Mr. Prout a: visit.
inch
Globe.—For solid and useful instruction
ilkuch every one can, more or less, make available,
great globe of Mr. Wyld, in Leicester-square,
illO competitor. During the last three days
has received a great accession of visitors.
Ai different parts of the surface of the elaborate
ece of workmanship are minutely examined, the
bPle seeming to be as industriously employed as
o in a hive, some tracing the course of relative
ii„.`.friencl who is on his way to America, others pur-
ing the overland route to India, and many pick-
c,g,.out the line of an intended journey to Aus-
tralia, and travelling round the Cape in imagina-
-11 ere they do so in reality. The " Great Globe"
lec L
Wonderful reviver of one's geographical know-
ige.

Argyle Rooms.—This unrivalled salle de danse
ntinues
to be one of the most popular places of
h'lleement at this festive season. The liberality
nd taste of the directors deserve the success which
t~eY have met with, and the order and propriety
l'ileed in their management entitle them to the
hest thanks of the public at large, and have set
147 establishment far above any which have hitherto
obeli opened to the dancing world. The saloon,
of the finest in Europe of its kind, has been
decorated, and every arrangement made
or,,ch can conduce to the comfort and enjoyment
the visitors. Of the well-known orchestra, under
he guidance of M. Emile Laurent, we need not
eak, it alone will well repay an evenings' visit
"ell to the most critical amateur of music.

Tx7
,1:)NORETION THE BETTER PART -OF VALOITR.— e
b.,`141, in a Paris journal :—" There is much talk of a dis-
re' which took place a few days ago in a cafe of the
4°lllevards, between an elderly gentlemon and a young
:,1.! With large moustaches. It ended in a challenge,
br,giell has happily caused no death, and of which the
i,",(11‘ of the quarter will reap the benefit. The parties
C,i'fceed on the ground and the seconds measured the
tance, and loaded the pistols. During these prepara-
:,llB the young man strutted about humming a tune
`‘-1 twisting his moustaches. The elderly gentle-
tan said nothing until the preparations were
t?iillpleted when he talked of explanations. At this word
Young man thought himself six inches taller, and
he would listen to no propositions. His adversary
ell cocked his pistol, seeing a bird, which was flying by
rapidly, said, 'Look !' and then fired at the bird, which
feu
dead. The lion turned pale, and his adversary said,
jt.ara the person insulted ; you have had a proof of my
In, and you will now receive my fire, or take to-day
tile thousand francs to the Bureau de Bienfaisance of
1141: second arrondissement. Decide, but reflect that the
ger the bird is the more certain am I of hiting, and
lila% are much larger than the bird that I have just shot.'
e proposition was accepted,! and we are assured that
e money has been paid,

„Y 413 VOYAGE ROUND THE CAPE. The uninitiated
1e often not unreasonably surprised at the apparently
Itievi,.ous course which vessels, bound from this country to
'-ua or Australia, pursue on their voyage to the Cape.
tbtecluently, as in the case of the Velore from this port,
LeY are found touching at Rio or other ports in South
erica,
k-gieriea and those who trace the direct course upon their
tcePs are not a little puzzled at what seem to them out-of-
.tri:waY, erratic wanderings. An article. in Chambers's
IVnburgh Journal, No. 468, entitled, ” Steam
t°lllid the Cape," contains the following ex-
'L4tlatory remarks, which some of our readers
Y thank us for extracting :—Persons who do not
ez" /special attention to nautical. matters are likely
°ugh to suppose that, considering the large number of
aesaels at sea ithe surface of the great ocexa must be
qotted over in' almost every part with the sails of the
o(Aintless fleet. This, however, is not the case ; the
:ie‘ian like the land, has its frequented highways, and its
N,;;`l,,e regions of loneliness. If an observer, furnished
en a forty-Herschel-telescope power of vision, could be
e vated to a height great enough to give him a view of
the whole Atlantic, he would be struck by beholding
lilill"reds of vessels' following one another in certain
e 8 along a very irregular course : while over a
ihtge Portion of the surface not a sail would be vis-
tn• Thus, he would see the ships which 'leave this
N;ll'ltry for the Cape or India, pursue at first a south-
kadei course till they reached the neighbourhood of
ra : then keep more directly to the south, at a
th'e distance from the African coast, until they crossed
e ; then stretch away again to the south-west in
.5 direction of South America, till they gained the zone
.°t, Westerly winds ; and, finally, making a rather sharp
tn into these winds, go bowling along before them to
,3" eastward till they arrived at the Cape, or else, if
t°et directed, passed to the southward of it. On the
14,11,111-voyage a similarly circuitous route is pur-
theu, although the curves are to some extent reversed,
:,„ widest circuit or deviation from the direct line
iae„,—,g made in the northern instead of the southern
tii.—tsPhere. In the extensive spaces on either side of
4,,`,Pe frequented routes few vessels will be seen. Here
there an African trader might occasionally be per-
-eiveddodging
ding swiftly across the ocean, perhaps with a royal
1,11-41„er following steadily in her track like a bloodhound
a murderer." The writer proceeds to remark
shit steam-vessels possess an advantage over sailing
fer,Bl! in being able to strike out a new and direct route
lexoselves.

TETE FRENCH EMPIRE.

Mr. Bower has been acquitted. His trial for
having killed Mr. Morton, closed on Tuesday
night. The facts of the case, as presented to the
jury, did not materially differ from the statements
made at the time regarding this melancholy affair,
and which it will be remembered amounted to this
that Mrs. Bower having, in a state of delirium,
while in puerperal fever, declared to her husband
that the child of which she had been lately de-
livered was not his, but Mr. Morton's, he rushed
out of the room, and seeing Morton, pursued him
down stairs, and killed him with a blow of a dinner-
knife which he had snatched up. Mr. Bower ad-
mitted that he had grieved his wife by his infideli-
ties, but denied that he had ever treated her with
unkindness. His examination commenced at 10
o'clock, and lasted two hours.

Several* witnesses were examined at length.
Amongst these was the present correspondent of the
Daily News who formerly assisted Mr. Morton in
that capacity. The medical gentlemen all gave
their evidence in the most complete maimer. The
porters of houses in the Rue de Seze and the Boule-
vard des Capucins (the residence of Mr. Morton)
were also examined. The President occasionally
asked Mr. Bower if he had any observation to
make as the witnesses concluded their evidence.
At half-past three the medical and other evidence
for the prosecution was brought to a close. The
Court was suspended for five minutes ; and at a
quarter to four the counsel for the prosecution, M.
Meynard de Franc, began to address the Court,
and spoke at considerable length. The witnesses
for the defence were afterwards called, and then
the celebrated advocate, M. Chaix d'Est-Ange ad-
dressed the jury on behalf of the prisoner. The
learned advocate justified the act as lawful and
right under the circumstances, and the jury, with-
out consultation, brought in a verdict of acquittal.
The statement which has appeared in some
German papers of the Emperor of Austria having
ordered a reduction in the army, is confirmed by a
letter from Vienna of the 24th, which the Moniteur
gives conspicuously. The letter communicated,
no doubt by the French Government itself, is as
follows:

"The Emperbr has just given orders for a considerable
reduction in the effective of the Austrian army. The
reduction is not only to be applied to the infantry, but
also to the cavalry and the artillery, the horses of the
dismissed soldiers to be sold. It is chiefly in the army
of Italy that the reduction is to take place."
The Moniteur accepts, too, as proof of good-will
towards France the late article in the lithographic
news-sheet of Vienna, on the subject of the visit of
the Emperor to the King of Prussia, describing it
to be not in the sense of an act of affiance for any
given purpose, but in conformity with old feelings
of friendship, which ought never to have been dis-
turbed, and the continuance of which, so far from
menacing France or any other country, is, on the
contrary, a guarantee for peace.
An extraordinary credit of 700,000 f. has been
opened to the Minister of the Marine, on the esti-
mates of 1853, for the execution of civil and mili-
tary works at Martinique, Guadaloupe, and Sene-
gal.
The Moniteur denies the intentions attributed to
the Government of reviving gambling-houses and
lotteries.

The Emperor arrived in Paris from Compiegne
yesterday at 3 o'clock.
The functionaries and soldiers of the Invalides,
having heard of the Imperial decree appointing
their Governor, Marshal Jerome Bonaparte, heir
to the Crown, waited on him on Christmas-day to
congrattate him on the occasion. The Marshal
replied in the following terms : _ .

" I receive with great pleasure the expression of the
sentiments which our brave Invalides have offered me.
Tell them that whatever be the position fortune destines
for me, it would require an order from the Emperor, my
august nephew, to induce me to quit them. Tell them
that from this, as from .the Palais Royal, I will watch
over their welfare, and that in me they will ever find a
support and a defender of their rights."
The Constitutionnel contains a long article on
Egypt, which is remarkable for the feeling of jea-
lousy towards England that prevails throughout.
The object of the article appears to be to stimulate
the French merchants, who occupy only the fourth
place as regards the amount of their commercial
transactions with Egypt, to increased exertions, by
proving to them the great advantage that may be
derived from an active trade with that country.

The Bourse was agitated to-day, and public secu-
rities suffered a further decline. The Four-and-a-
Half per Cents, opened at 105 f. 60c., and closed at
105 f. 15c. for the end of the month ; the Three per
Cents. closed at 81f. 10c. ; Shares of the New Bank
of Credit Mobilier, issued at 500 f., 850 f.

THE CONTINENT.

SPAIN.

Madrid journals of the 24th have been received.
They state that the Ambassador from the French
Emperor, General Aupick, had been most graciously
received by Queen Isabella. The Ministry were in
hopes of having a large majority in the new Cortes.
It was said that a law on the press would appear
soon in the Gaceta.

Marshal Narvaez addressed from Bayonne a de-
mand for authorisation to return to Madrid, but

that it was rejected by the Council of Ministers
after an animated discussion.

The Diario has ceased to appear, in consequence
of the seizure of one of its last numbers, and the
imprisonment of its responsible editor.
Madrid Bourse, Dec. 24.—The Three per Cents.,
441-16 ; Exchange on London, 50 90 paper.