The Sun.
London, England, 1863-02-09 00:00:00

rHE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY J 1863.

edly from the Vatican a written intimation that the Pope
would receive him at 12 o'clock on the next day. Mr. Rus-
sell accordingly went to the Vatican on the 26th July, and
in the course of a conversation of some length the Pope
expressed a wish to know whether if any circumstances
should at any time lead him to desire to take refuge in Eng-
land he would be well and hospitably received there. To
this question Mr. Russell could of course give only a gene-
ral answer.
From this statement it will be seen that, instead of Mr.
Russell asking an audience of the Pope, and at that audi-
ence making to the Pope an offer of an asylum at Malta, it
was the Pope who sent for Mr. Russell, and it was the
Pope who started the idea that he might, under certain cir-
cumstances, wish to reside in British territory,
This conversation, having been reported by Mr. Russell,
led to the despatch of the 25th of October, of which I send
your Excellency a copy, to be communicated to M. Drouyn
de Lhuys, together with some other parts of the correspon-
dence on this matter.*
It is right that I should explain that Mr. Russell was
not called home from Rome, as the French Ambassador
imagined, in consequence of his interview with the Pope;
Mr. Russell simply received a direction to absent himself
from Rome e n account of his health during the unhealthy
season in that city.
As to the private letter which the French Ambassador
states that I wrote in December to Mr. Russell, and which
he imagines that Mr. Russell communicated to Cardinal An-
tonelli, I have only to say that I did not write such a letter,
and that consequently no such letter was communicated by
Mr. Russell to the Cardinal in any shape or manner.
Your Excellency will read this despatch to M. Drouyn
de Lhuys, and give him a copy of it, —I am, &c.,
(Signed) RUSSELL.

(No. 8,
EARL RUSSELL TO EARL COWLEY.

Foreign-office, Jan. 31, 1863.

My Lord,—l have to state to your Excellency, with re-
ference to my despatch No. 130, of the 29th inst., that I
have received a further despateh from Mr. Russell at Rome,
who, it appears, was admitted to an audience of :the Pope
on the 7th inst., to offer his good wishes on the commence-
ment of the new year.
On this occasion the Pope was pleased to state to Mr.
Russell that he had been gratified ,by the offers of hospita-
lity made to him by her Majesty's Government ; and he
requested Mr. Russell to convey to her Majesty's Govern-
ment his thanks for the despatch which he had communi-
cated to Cardinal Antonelli, offering his Holiness the use
of a mansion at Malta. His Holiness was pleased to add
that although under existing circumstances he would not
avail hims elf of the protection of England, he nevertheless
desired to thank her Majesty's Government for their good
intentions.—l am, &c.,

(Signed)

RUSSELL.

:4 Nos. 1,5, and 6.

METROPOLITAN BOARD OF WORKS.

The ordinary weekly meeting of the Metropolitan
Board of Works was held on Friday at their offices,
Spring-gardens, Mr. John Thwaites in the chair.
The cash statement showed that the balances in
the hands were on current accounts £83,900195. 48.,
on deposit accounts £6,500, and on Government Se-
curities £88,159 9s. 4d.