The Sun.
London, England, 1864-01-02 00:00:00

A Danish View of Federal Execution.

We extract the following from the last number
'qf the Dagbladet

" Will any honest men say that the intervention
in Holstein comes under the head of Federal execu-
tion ? In the instructions given to the commis-
sioners it is expressly laid do wn that they have to
administer the affairs of the Duchy, reserving to
the Sovereign all his rights and without doing pre-
judice to them. Is it, we say, in conformity with
the tenour of that order completely to ignore the
existence of the King of Denmark, by allowing
the inhabitants publicly to proclaim a new sove-
reign ? The execution is nothing less than a mask
to foster revolt.-

" In the interest of peace Europe rejoiced when,
on the 7th December last, the Confederation voted
by a small majority execution instead of the occu-
pation of Holstein. What has now become of the
distinction between those two ideas ? Had occupa-
tion been voted, it would have boen a direct infringe-
ment of international law A heavy pressure has
been exercised upon Denmark to compel her not to
consider the execution a casus belli, and to resist
it by force of arms. The Powers who have made
their will prevail at Copenhagen, and who, dis-
daining to listen to the wishes of the nation, have
extorted that concession from the Government,
have acted under the supposition that it was simply
Federal execution, and that any attempt to make a
demonstration in favour of the Duke of A ugusten-
burg would be rigorously prohibited. What will
they say now, after it has been proved that the
Plenipotentiary Commissioners of the Confederation
patronise and facilitate everything which tends to
deprive the Crown of Denmark of the Duchy of
Holstein ? This pressure of the neutral Powers at
the present moment is our greatest evil. We do
not hesitate to say that the whole Danish people
chafes with indignation at the inconceivable atti-
tude assumed by the neutral Powers, who style
themselves the friends of Denmark."

THE WINGS OF BEES (whose nature it is to
creep into small flowers).—The contrivance they
are supplied with is very curious. They have four wings,
two on each side, and the upper wings fold once, length-
wise, when the insect wallas; but, when it purposes to fly,
it straightens this, wing, by the act of raising it, and the
same action hooks the lower wing to it firmly, giving it all
the force of a single tread wing. The microscopic shows
that, at the base of each of the little wing-cases, which
measure, at their broadest part, only one sixty-second of an
inch, there is a delie,4te little comb, formed with beautiful
regularity, and having one hundred and twenty teeth
The use of this comb may be to remove all particles of dust
from the long, feathery wings before the wing-cases close
over them.

PERFECTION OF MECHANISM.--" As engineers wo 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, 1862. Clocks by the first artists of the day for the
drawing room, dining room, bed room, library, hill, 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, 3 and 34,
Ludgate-hill, London. Established 1749.
maker by special Is arrant of HY,-
ent
Prince of Wales, i t to the watch and clock

-s3,:us
C
qo

HER MAJESTY.

OSBORNE, Jan. 1.
The Queen walked and drove in the grounds
yesterday morning, accompanied by the Princess
Helena.

His Serene Highness Prince Leiningen arrived
at Osborne on a visit to her Majesty.
The Countess of Macclesfield has also arrived in
waiting on the Princess of Wales.

The Prince and Princess of Wales.
'Their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess
of Wales are expected to returr. to Frogmore House
on the expiration of their viPit to her Majesty at
Osborne, either to-day (ScAturday) or at the be-
ginning of the week. The Prince and Princess
will remain at Frogmore during this month, and
afterwards will reside at Marlborough House for
some time.

Her Majesty's New-Year's Gifts.
The New-year's gifts of her Majesty to the poor of
the parishes of Windsor, Clewer, and the Holy
Trinity were distributed yesterday morning at the
Town Hall, Windsor, under the management of the
Hon. and Very Rev, the Dean of Windsor; the Rev.
H. J. Ellison, vicar ; the Revs. Thomas Rooke, R. J.
Simpson, and S. J. Stone, curates of St, John's
Church; the Mayor of Windsor, &c. Since the
death of the Prince Consort this annual distribu-
tion of her Majesty's bounty has been divested of
much of the interest attached to it, as it no longer
takes place in the Riding.school, in the presence
of her Majesty and the members of the Royal
family.

The recipients of the Royal gifts were divided.
into five classes, according to the number of their
families. In the first class there were 16 families,.
who received each 71b of beef and 3 cwt. of coals,.
value Bs. 21d. In the second class there were 37
families, who received each 61b of beef and 21 cwt.•
of coals, value 6s. lid. In the third class there
were 62 families, to whom were allowed 51b of beefy
and 2 cwt. of coals, value ss. Bd. The fourth class
contained 118 families, who received 41b of beef'
and 1 cwt. of coals. In the fifth class there were
124 recipients of 31b of beef and 1 cwt. of coals.
The meat, which was of the finest quality, was sup-
plied by the Royal butchers.
In the parish of Windsor there were 357 families
who partook of the Royal bounty.
The proportions distributed to Clewer were at the
rate of 9 to 4 as compared to Windsor, and those
of Holy Trinity as 13 to 6, which was according to
the population of the respective parishes.
The Royal Clothing Club was established under
the patronage of her Majesty to induce the poor of
the three parishes to deposit small sums weekly
during the year for the purpose of receiving at this
season an amount of clothing equivalent to their
deposits, in addition to which her Majesty gives 3s.
to each depositor. Dining the past year the first
class contained 88 members, the second class 241
members, and the third class 259. The amount
each first-class person contributes is 205., the second.
class contribute 155., and the third class Bs. Eight;
hundred tickets will be issued for the current year
to those who may wish to avail themselves of this
admirable charity ; and, as a proof of the import-
ance of this institution, it may be stated that there
were double this number of applications, but only
half could be received, as the funds will not.
allow the managers to exceed the original
number. The contributors, in case of need, are
allowed to withdraw their contributions, and
replace them at their convenience. According to the
proposal of the Hon. and Very Rev, the Dean of
Windsor, which was adopted by the committee, the
contributors are desired to select their goods from
any shop in Windsor or Eton. Her Majesty's gifts
amounted to £l5O.

-___._;Y

The Duke and Duchess of Manchester are ex
pected to arrive in town to-day from Kimbolton Castle
Hunts, and to go to Knowsley on Monday, to join the dis-
tinguished cif cle about to assemble at the invitation of the
Earl and Countess of Darby.

The Duchess of Montrose left Belgrave-scuare,
yesterday, for the Continent. The noble duke and the
Marquis of Graham are staying at Fowls Castle, on a visit
to the Earl of Powis.

The Earl and Countess of Westmoreland are
passing the winter in town. The health of the earl is
improved, but we hear that his medical advisers order his
lordship to abstain from hunting, or any other violent
exercise.

The Earl and Countess of Wilton are expected to
leave town on Monday f@r Melton Mowbray.
The Countess of Craven and Ladies Craven left
town yesterday for Ashdown Park, Berks. The earl re-
mains in town.

The Earl Russell returned to Pembroke Lodge,
Richmond Park, on Thursday evening, from visiting her
Majesty at Osborne.
Viscount and Viscountess Dangan have arrived
at the residence of Colonel P. Williams, M.P., in Berke-
ley-square, from visiting the Earl and Countess Cowley a
Paris,

M. RENAN AND THE KING OF ITALY.—One Of
the most bitterly ludicrous circumstances we have
noticed during the past month is, the conferring of the
cordon of St. Maurice and St. Lazarus upon M. Ernest
Renan, by the King of Italy, in recognition of the services
he has rendered to religion. " Eminent services rendered
to religion by M. Ronan I" We presume by publication of
his " Life of Jesus," upon which we cannot but remark
that Judas Iscariot might also have received some cordon
of honour or other for his eminent services rendered to
religion ! After all there is a propriety in the transaction.
The King of Italy, who betrayed and imprisoned Garibaldi,
to whom he owes his present sovereignty, decorates the
man who blasphemes the Saviour I—The Electie Review for
January.

A PASSAGE OP ARMS.—The American war has
brought forward a great deal of word-painting, and
a rather curious collection of battle scenes might be made.
The following description of an incident at Chicamauga,
from the pen of the correspondent of the Chicago Journal,
might obtain a corner in such a compilation It was
near 4 o'clock on that blazing afternoon when a part of
General Steedman's division of the reserve corps bowed
their head to the hurtling storm of lead as if it had been
rain, and betrayed signs of breaking. The line waved like
a great flag iu a breath of wind. They were as spleladid
material as ever shouldered a musket, but then What oauld
they do in such a blinding tempest. General Steed man
rode up, took the flag from the colour-beater, glanced along
the wavering front, and with that vaice of his that c ould
talk against a small rattle of musketry, cried out, " Go back,
boys, go back; but the flag can't go with you!" grasped the
staff, wheeled his horse, and rode on. Must I tell you that; the
column closed up and grew firm, and moved resistlessly on
like a great strong river, and swept down upon the foe, and
made a record that shall live when their graves are as c:mptY
as the cave of Macpelah ?"
THE GREAT EMPEROR AND THE IRON DUKE.
—The Duke of Wellington and Napoleon Bona parte
were born, as is well known, in the same year-176' )—the
'duk- being rather the older of the two; the duke on I Ile Ist
of May, the Emperor on the 15th of August. The father
of the great Emperor died young; the lather of tb,e duke
died likewise at a comparatively early age. There were five
brathers in the one family, five brothers in the othiNe It
each case the five brothers attained more or less of emhaence.
Though the two fathers died young, the two mothers lived
to tee the sons illustrious. The most brilliant of the Wel-
lesleys was the Marquis of Wellesley, a man infinitely
more gifted than the Duke of Wellington, who, neverthe-
less, surpassed him in strength of character. Napoleon,
however, it ie hardly necessary to say, had far more genius
than all the rest of the Bonaparte family put together.
THE CONDEMNED CONVICTS IN HORSEMONGER"
LANE GAOL.--Yesterday afternoon Mr. Charles James
Abbott, the Under Sheriff for the county of Surrey, re-
ceived front Sir George Grey, the Home Secretary, a
reprieve during her Majesty's pleasure for the con-
demned convict Joseph Mahaig, now under sentence
of death for the murder of Elizabeth Waterer at Guild-
ford, Mr. Abbott at once proceeded to Horsemonge"
lane Gaol and handed the reprieve to Mr. Beene,
the governor, who with the chaplain had an interview'
with the convict and explained to him that mercy
had been extended to him. It way be recollected that he
cut his own throat in a tlightful manner, and his life was
despaired of for some time. He, however, has nearly re-
covered from the effects of those self-inflicted wounds, but.
is in an extremely weak state. When told that his life bad
been spared he fell on his knees and prayed fervently for
sonic) minutes. He expressed his thanks to the sheriff, the
governor, and friends who had interested themselves in his
favour. Great exel tions are being made to save the life of
Samuel Wright, whose execution is fixed for the 12th ; and
it is expected that they will be attended with success.