The Sun.
London, England, 1864-05-05 00:00:00

BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.

PLYMOUTH, Thursday, 11 a,m.
The Duncan Dunbar, Captain Swanson, 80 days from
Sydney, has just passed up Channel outside this port.
SOUTHAMPTON, Thursday Morning.
Arrived—Marquis of Bute, from Sunderland.
Sailed—Emanuel, for Finland—Phantom and Catherine,
for Sunderland—Chester (steamer), for Cardiff.

MT MAGNETIC TELEGRAPH.

GRAVESEND, Thursday Morning.

Arrived, May 4 —Wille de Blaye, from Charente—
Liverpool, Halson, Arthur Pardeu, and Balissima—all
from New York—Glen, from Ghent—Simeon Hardy, from
Barbados—Heroine, from Jamaica—Abeona, from Cam-
peche—John, and Henry—Elizabeth, from Trinidad.
DEAL, Thursday Morning.
Passed.—Palante, of Colchester, from the north for the
west.

HIGHBURY BARN.—Last evening, a dinner, at
which about 200 gentlemen sat down, was given in cele-
bration of the fourth anniversary of the opening of the
tavern by Mr. Giovannelli. Mr. Thomas Beard occupied
the chair, and proposing " Tbe health of Mr. Giovan-
nelli," paid a warm nompliment to him for the way he had
conducted his establishni?mt, to which Mr. Giovannelli re-
plied in appropriate terms. 1.1110 evening was enlivened with
vocal and instrumental music, a).-Id the company separated
at a late hour, highly satisfied with their entertainer and
entertainment.

NEW ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH AND' SCHOOLS.

—A new Roman Catholic church was opes Ned on
Tuesday at Turnham-green. It has been built from desl;,qns
of Messrs. Willson and Nicholl, of Marylebone-road. It ft;
a small, handsome building, Gothic in style. There were pre-
I sent Cardinal Wiseman and many other ecclesiastics, and a
large number of the laity, The sermon was preached by
Cardinal Wiseman, who dwelt at considerable length on the
claim of the Roman Catholic religion to fixedness of doctrine.
He referred to Dr. Colenso's work,:and also to " Essays and
Reviews ;" he also spoke in strong terms of condemnation
of the attention paid to Garibaldi by Protestant bishops.
After the service the cornerstone was laid of the new Roman
Catholic schools which are being erected in the same neigh-
bourhood from designs of Mr. Pugin, There was afterwards
a dejeuner, at which Cardinal Wiseman presided.
DR. NEWMAN'S APPEAL FOR " FAIR PLAY"
from the readers of his contest with Mr. Kingsley.
—" Whatever judgment my readers may eventually form of
me from these pages, I am confident that they will believe
me in what I shall say in the course of them. I have no
misgiving at all that they will be ungenerous or harsh with
a man who has been so long before the eyes of the world;
who has so many to speak of him from personal knowledge ;
whose natural impulse it has ever been to speak out; who
has ever spoken too much rather than too little ; who would
have saved himself many a scrape, if he had been wise
enough to hold his tongue; who has ever been fair to the
doctrines and arguments of his opponents ; who has never
slurred over facts and reasonings which told against
himself; who has never given his name or authority to
proofs which he thought unsound, or to testimony which
he did not think at least plausible; who has never shrunk
from confessing a fault when he felt that he had committed
one ; who has ever consulted for others more than for him-
self ; who has given up much that he loved and prized and
could have retalned, but that he loved honesty better than
name, and truth better than dear friends."

THE POSITION OF THE MINISTRY (according to
Blackwood).—The Lord Palmerston of to-day is
not his former self. Doubtless even the most vigorous
capacity must begin to decline when life has overstepped its
ordinary limit of four score years. But it is rather to the
indirect than to the direct effects of advancing age that we
attribute the peculiar differences which the veteran Premier
now presents to the Palmerston of former days. A natural
but dangerous ambition prompts him to keep office to the
last. Were he to fall, he could not look forward to another
premiership. His has been the greatest reputation of any
English statesman since Sir Robert Peel. Indeed, of late
years there has been en enthusiasm for Palmerston such as
there was not for Peel. But that enthusiasm is waning.
The Cabinet has become wholly discredited. Blunder after
blunder, failure after failure, has marked its career. In
foreign affairs its power is paralysed by disunion. At the
critical juncture, a line of policy which has been followed
for months is suddenly abandoned, in consequence of a split
in the Cabinet. Eager to remain in power to the last, Lord
Palmerston gives way before threats of a secession, which
would endanger his Ministry. Rather than resign; he be-
comes a roi faineant. But the interests of the country suffer
from such a course. The moral influence of England is
temporarily annihilated; our threats of hostility are disre-
garded and contemned; and our promises of material assist-
ance are given only to be broken. At present, England has
not a single ally, and her name has become a laughingstock
among the great powers. She is a terror to no one, and a
danger only to those who trust in her.
THE WEATHER AND THE CROPS.—The weather
has undergone a most important change for the
better in the Eastern counties this week. April has passed
away almost without rain, and the crops suffered to some
extent in consequence. On Sunday the long-desired rain-
charged clouds, however, made their appearance, and on
Sunday evening they began to dischage their contents.
On Monday and yesterday light genial spring showers fell
at intervals, and the change which has been already wrought
upon the face of country is marvellous, the fields and plan-
tations now displaying in all their exquisite beauty the fresh
delicate hues of spring. Keep for stock has long been very
scant, but the grasses will speedily become luxriant,