The Sun.
London, England, 1864-07-04 00:00:00

THE FEDERAL REPULSE AT PETERSBURG.—The
.New York Herald publishes a letter from its army
correspondent describing the repulse of the Federals as fol-
lows :—" Gen, Pierce commanded the left of the front line
of attack, and Major Hooper, of the 15th Massachusetts, the
right. Their troops were formed in two heavy lines. The
right of the line was formed under a crest, which protected
it from the fire from the rebel breastworks they were going
to assault, near the line of the City Point and Fredericks-
burg Railroad ; but the left was exposed to a most murder-
ous fire the moment it was in sight. The line advanced. and
the soldiers rushed over a fence along the road with which
the breastwork was nearly parallel ; they rushed forward
gallantly, but could not withstand the deadly fire of mus-
ketry, grape, and canister that was poured upon them from
that stronghold of the enemy. On the right of the line our
men reached to within about 75 yards of the earthworks,
and on the left to within about 200. But the fatal fire was
too much for even such gallant fellows, many of whom fell
never to rise again. The lines were accordingly compelled
to fall back a short distance to the point from which they
advanced, leaving the dead and some of the wounded in the
possession of the enemy. Another attack was ordered to
take place at another point, for the purpose, if possible, of
cutting through the rebel lines. This was a regular storm-
ing party, composed of several brigades formed in columns
of regiments. The troops moved forward in two columns,
Col. Madell's brigade leading the advance of one column,
and Col. Champhn's the other. Shortly after 4 p.m. these
imposing columns were moved forward, and in a moment
they were moving in splendid force towards a strong rebel
I:ne of breastworks strongly defended by infantry and artil-
lery. These immediately opened a terrific,fire, and the heads
of colums were lost in clouds of smoke—lost in the very
jaws of death. The battery was so close, the fire so strong
as well as sudden, and the men fell so fast, that tkose in
front were soon cut down or scattered, end others, instinc-
tively seeking the shelter whict some neighbouring build-
ings affurdecl, broke from the column, throwing them into
considerable confusion. The troops were then wisely with-
drawn, as a further sacrifice of human life, under these cir•
cumstances would bo criminal."

INNS OF COURT.—Tue Benchers of the Inas of
Court in Dec'mber, 1863, issued new regulations
to students qualifying for the bar, and among others insti-
tuted exhibitions to be competed for by students who had
attended the lectures and classes of the several readers. The
Council of Legal Education, to whom is intrusted the duty
of superintending the instruction of students for the bar,
have directed that the examinations for exhiuitions on the
subject of the lectures delivered and classes held by the
several readers shall be commenced this day, July 4, at
Lincoln's-inn-hail. The exhibitions are of the value of 30
guineas each, to be held for a period of two years, 10 be
granted to the most proficient student in Constitutional Law
and Legal History, and to the most proficient student in
Jurisprudence, Civil, and International Law, and also to
the students of the advanced classes in Equity, on Real
Property Law, and on the Common Law. J unior Exhibi-
tions, to continue for a like period of twq years (but to
merge on taking a superior exhibition), of the value of 20
guineas per annum, will be awarded to the most proficient
students, duly qualified, who have entered for the elemen-
tary examinations on the subjects of Equity, Real Property,
Scc., and the Common Law. Mr Thomas Collett Sanders
has been appointed examiner in Constitutional Law and
Legal History, to be held this morning, the 4th of July,
from 9.30 to 12.30, and he will also examine in the afternoon
from 1.30 to 4.30 on Jurisprudence, Civil, and International
Lau". On Tuesday morning, July 5, Mr. J. R. Kenyon,
Q.C., will examine in Equity from 9.50 to 12,30; and in
the afternoon of that day, from 1,30 to 4.30, Mr. James
Charles Mathew will examine on the Common Law. On
Wednesday morning, the 6th of July, Mr John Sharper,
Q.C., will examine from 9.30 to 12.30 on the Law of Real
Property, &c., and in the afternoon of that day—viz., from
1,30 to 4.30 a general paper of questions will be issued to
the students embracing all the subjects on the foregoing
heads. Students attending the lectures of any of the
readers are at liberty to attend the several examinations,
and all members of the Inns of Court who have obtained
written orders of admission from a beneher. or from one
of the readers, are also to be admitted to the oral examina-
tions.
THE FUNNY PARSON (says that absurdly named
correspondent of the Court Chronicle, Mr Surley
Hardbake) is usually a yoetng man just in orders—too young
in orders, indeed, to be orderi;'. A smooth chubby-cheeked
fellow, with " a shining morning l'ece " and a plentiful head
of hair. Ho is a great favourite with se;ung ladies who take
a delight in his being " so unlike a parson," as they phrase
it, and who lie in wait for his doing somethist; absolutely
uncanonical and improper. He is a great man at a piC-nic—
can sing a comic song if needed, and when quite away fre;.na
his " potent, grave, and reverend seniors," he can imitate
the noises of animals to perfection, smokes furtive pipes at
night, despises his white tie, and, when he is able, obscures it
under a lay neckerchief. He indulges in a wide awake hat,
and reads novels when he should devote himself to the
Fathers. Indeed, as my friend Jones says, he doesn't care
much for the " Papas" or the Fathers either, his chief care
is the daughters. And certainly he is a very amusing man
for a select tea party of ladies who are pretty enough to
interest, and not old enough to check his unclerical mirth.
He is a very sharp fellow in his way, is an exceedinglY
agreeable man for a companion in a walking tour, has one
or two smart and not very decent college stories, over
which he chuckles with an enjoyable sense of
aeir
impropriety. He is a loud talker, a loud laugher,
despiser of church authority and ConvocationP, a con-
temner of bishops, a sneerer at rubrics and saints' days—
altogether a man out of his element, one who possibly might
have feruggled into notice at the Bar, but to whose peculiar
abilities the Church is a wet blanket, which he is constantly
except
z
making efforts to throw awry Of course he usually belongs
yit to
be
h
to the Low or the Broad churchpaarsthy.visHitiengis,
too
l
t sympathise
e visiting
of h
witthehard work and parish
pic.nici,g, portion of his flock, where there
are champagne corks to be drawn and jokes to be perpetrated,
and delights in nothing E 0 much as
that reverend jester. If he is good
tHoobgeutohtoeusaShytdtnoe Sydney
resemble Smith,
looking it is ten to one that he will marry a pretty girl
with money, right under the nose of some despairing captain
or other; obtain his ! ectory in middle life, and subside
into a jesting old age of pert and walnuts. Ice is one of those
men who have made our church as ridiculous as she is ca-
pable of becepaiwc; in the eyes of lit:monists and dizzentere.