The Sun.
London, England, 1864-11-25 00:00:00

BANK OF FRANCE.

PARIS, Nov. 24, 2 Pm.
The Bank of France has reduced its rate of f:Lifs,
count from 7 to 6 per cent.
The rate for commercial bills is 7 per cent,.

Railway and other Companies.

MIDLAND.

This company bee given notice of intended apptication tek
Parliament in the ensuing sttssion for additional powers to
make new railways and works. A railway from Breedon-
on-the-Hill *o Ashby-d3-la-Zouch a railway from Long
Eaton to Weston-upon-Trent— a:-ailway from Heage to the
Erewseh Valley line, near the Codnor-park station—a rail-
way from Al:reton to Codnor-park--a railway from Ripley
to Partridge—a railway from the Manchester, Sin ffi-Id, and
Lincolnshire at Ardwick h Watson-street, Manchester—a
railway in Lenton—a railway from Kellam to Newark.
upon-Trent—a railway from Iron Acton to Frampton Cot-
terell—a railway from Morton to Pilsey— from Morton to
North Wirgfield, and from Spondon to Derby. A railway
in the parish ut St. Pancras to the goods station of the
Midland, near King's-cross—railways to Guild-street, and.
oleo to High-street, Barton-on-Trent—a branch from tne
Tewkesbury and Malvern line at Groat Malvern—also three
branches at Staveley. To empower the company to make a
new roa lin Hendon from Sheer Hall-lane to the Edgware-
rord—aleo a rord from Clitterhouge Farm, Hendon, +o
Child's Hill-lane, and to discontFnue other roads. To alt r
and improve streets and roads in Manchester and Bradford,
and to purchase lands and houses in Manchester, Tardebigg,
Stoke Prior, Holbeck, North Wingfield, Heage, Swinton,
Burton-uk.on -Trent, Eek'ngton, King's Not ton, Bristol,
Leicrater, St. Pancras, London, and Hendon. To empower
the company and the London and North Western Company
to catty into effect eg-reemen's with reference to the work.-
, ing end use of the Lancas'er and Carlisle Railway, includ-
ing the Lance ter end Preston Junction and the Kendal
and Windermere Railway. To contribute towards and hold
shares in the East Gloucestershire Railway, and to raise
futtb.ar capilel. In enother nolce the company propose to
apply for rower to make railways from Mansfield to South-
well and from Mansfield to Worksop, w.th a branch to
Staveley. To make some deviations in the NoL4lngbam and
Mansfield line, to abandon pot tions not required,and braise'
a further awn of money. Also notice to apply for power to
make a railway from the company's Barnsley branch at
Batoaley to Kirkburton; and to authorise the company to
raise an additional sum of money for that purpose.

EAST INDIAN IRRIGATION AND CANAL.
The directors of this company state in their report that
it is only a little an'ro then iwo years since the pre fessloual
survey end examination of the extensive country secured
for the operations of the company were commenced, and
that the time actually occupied in the construction of por-
tions of the scheme of works deter mined upon is about 12
months, the amount of work executed being exceedingly
satisfactory and highly creditable to all the officers em-
ployed. At the commencement of the year measures were
adopted to confine executive operations of the anicuts and
head works upon the Mabanuddy river and its branches at
and near to Cuttack ; the canal from the Hooghly river to
Midnapore, of (which the unfinished Oolaberiah canal
miles in length), purchased from the Government of India,
when completed and improved, will form the first section ;
the tidal canal from Tumlook, on the Reopnera'n river, to
Belasore, which, by means of the Oolaberiah canal, will
be connected with the Hooghly and Calcutta, and a canal
from the Mahanuddy to the Brahmany Ever, being the
first portion of the intended high level canal between Cut-
tack and Calcutta. On the 9th of June last the Oolaberiah
canal was again opened for use, and will, henceforth, it is
believed, remain permanently available for traffic. The
Barka Nulls canal about nine miles in length, which was
given over by the Government free of cost, end which when
improved in capacity and rendered navigable at all times
by the addition of locks, will form the first section of the
tidal canal between Tumlook and Balesore, was opened in
March, 1863, for the through passage of boats during high
tide, and has since remained so open, though its facilities
for use, even during those ;peEods, have been from Ha
imperfect state, of a limited character. The total of the
net receipts of the company on account of these two
short and imperfect canals amounted, on the 30th of
September last, to £l,62r—a result which the report states
must be considered highly eatisfactory, and sufficient to
warrant en estimate of a largely profitable return upon their
nit "re cost when the intended improvements shalt be exe.,
cut,d, and 10.70 to justity an anticipation that the longer
lines of cammu,ication of which these ere to form the com-
mencement wi'l bs squally productive. The sum of £412,508
h rd been received on account of capital, and the expenditure
in England end remit'ances to India amount to £354,003,
leaving a balance in Er:eland of £58,605, of which £lO,OOO
had since been forwarded to India.

ROYAL SARDINIAN.
Letters aora Otistaao state that the first scd ct the main
Ina waituTned by the sub-prefect on Sunday morning last,
n presence of all the civil and military awhorities of Otis- --
Lew. In the evening there was a general illumination of
the city and g:eat rejoicing in consequence.

Metropolitan Music Hall, Edgware Road.

We have pleasure in drawing attention to this now
deservedly popular place of amusement. For months past
extensive improvements have been going on, which havo
only just been brought to a conclusion. Our visit the other
evening enables us to speak not of what the directors in-
tend to do, but what they have fully and satisfactorily ac.
complished. They certainly have worked out their con-
eeptiors in a manner that cannot-fail to attract public
attention. The hall and its approaches have been corn•
pletely remodelled—a billiard and bowling alley added,
whilst the artistes employed are numerous and decidedly
well seleeed. The comic department certainly predomi-
nates. Miss Lizzy Florence is a very clever and humorous
vocalist, and Mr Vance, in his song the " Ticket of Leave,"
is laughter-moving in the highest degree. One could
hardly repress the thought that he must have "done" his
14 years so perfect. Mr Lingard is an able pantomimist,
and the Messrs. Cu& are exceedingly droll in their coolie
duets. Mr Davis does all sorts of odd things while in the
position known as "standing on one's head"—not on the
stage, bu' on the top of a bottle. While in this position he
sings, pours out a glass of wine, smokes a cigar, beats a
drum, &e , with as much ease as if in the ordinary position.
The most exciting part of the performance, however, is that
of Herr Rossach, All sensible people must be convinced
by this time that the Davenport Brothers' rope business is
nothing more than a clever trick. On the evening of cur
visit a knot of gentlemen were earnestly discussing the pos-
sibility of so tying Herr Roasach that he could nut release
himself within the allotted five minutes. Mr (Meanie, of
the Edgware-road, loudly affinoed that he could so tie him,
and set about his task with considerable ingenuity. When
he had hound the professor hand and foot he was placed in
a small cabinet and the door closed, but scarcely had this
been done when from a small hole in the cabinet out came
a bundle of knotted cord, and the professor himself appeared
at the door perfectly free with a globe of fish in each hand.
Mr G. took his defeat in good part, simply requesting to be
allowed on a future evening to try his hand again at bind-
ing the professor. The request of course was granted, and
to night he is again to try whether he can improve upon
his first experiment. A great deal of curiosity exists in the
neighbourhood of the hall with respect to Mr Glennie's
second attempt.

Annual Message of President Davis,

To THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
OF THE CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA:—
REVIEW OF THE CAMPAIGN OF 186'4.

It is with satisfaction that I welcome your presence at an
earlier day than that usual for your session, and with confirm
dance I invoke the aid of your counsels at a time of such
public exigency. The campaign which was commenced
almost simultaneously with your session early in May last,
and which was still in progress at your adjournment in the
middle of June, has not yet reached its close. It has been
prosecuted on a scale and with an energy heretofore un-
equalled. When we revert to the condition of our country
at the inception of the operations of the present year, to the
magnitude of the preparations made by the enemy, the num-
ber of his forces, the accumulation of his warlike supplies,
and the prodigality with which his vast resources have been
lavished in the attempt to render success assured ; when we
contrast the numbers and means at our disposal for assist.
ance, and when we contemplate the results of a struggle
apparently so unequal, we cannot fail, while rendering the
full meed of deserved praise to our generals and soldiers, to
perceive that a Power higher than man has willed our deli-
verance, and gratefully to recognise the protection of a kind
Providence in enabling us successfully to withstand the
u,most efforts of the enemy for our subjugation.
TUE TRA.NS-MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT.

At the beginning of the year the States of Texas was
partially in possession of the enemy, and large portions of
Louisiana and Arkansas lay apparently defenceless. Of
the Federal soldiers who invaded Texas none are known to

remain except as prisoners of war, in North-Western
Lousiana a large and well appointed army, aided by a
powerful fleet, was repeatedly defeated, and deemed itself
fortunate in finally escaping with a loss of one-third of its
numbers, a large part of its military trains, and many
transports and gunboats. The enemy's occupation of that
State is reduced in the narrow district commanded by the
guns of his fleet. Arkansas has been recovered, with the
exception of a few fortified posts, Missouri, affording to
our oppressed brethren in that State an opportunity—of
which many have availed themselves—of striking for libe-
ration from the t3ranny to which they have been subjected.
On the east of the Mississippi, in spite of some reverses,
we have much cause for gratulation. The enemy hoped to
effect, during the present year, by concentration of forces,
the conquest which he had previously failed to accom-
plish by more extended operations. Compelled, there-
fore, to withdraw or seriously to weaken the strength of
the armies of occupation at different points, he has
afforded us the opportunity of recovering possession of
extensive districts of our territory, Nearly the
whole of northern and western Mississippi, of northern
Alabama, and of western Tennessee are again in our posses-
sion; and all attempts to penetrate from the coast line into
the interior of the Atlantic and Gulf States have been
baffLd. On the entire ocean and Gulf coast of the confe-
deracy the whole success of the enemy, with the enormous
naval resources at his command, has been limited to the
capture of the outer defences of Mobile Bay.
If we now turn to the results accomplished by the two
great armies, so confidently relied on by the invaders as
sufficient to secure the subversion of our Government and
the subjection of our people to foreign domination, wo have
still greater cause for devout gratitude to Divine Power. In
South-western Virginia, successive armies which threatened
the capture of Lynchburg and Saltville, have been routed
and driven out of the country, and a portion of Eastern Ten-
neesco roconquered by our troops. In Northern Virginia ex-
tensive districts formerly occupied by the enemy are new
free from their presecce. In the lower valley their general,
rendered desperate by his inability to maintain a hostile °es
eupation, has resorted to the infamous expedient of convert,.
inga fruitful land into a desert by burning its mills,granaries
and homesteads, and destroying the food, standing crops,
live stock and- agricultural implements of peaceful non-
combatants. The main army, after a series of defeats in
which its losses have been enormous; after attempts by
raiding parties to break up our railroad communications,
which have resulted in the destruction of a 'serge part of
the cavalry engaged in the work; after constant repulse of
repeated assaults on oar defensive lines, is, with the aid of
heavy reinforcements, but with, it is hoped, waning pros-
pect of further progress in the design, still engaged in an
effirt, commenced more than four months ago, to capture
the town of Petersburg,