The Sun.
London, England, 1863-12-02 00:00:00

THE PROPOSED CONGRESS.

Subjoined is the answer which the King of
Sweden and Norway sent to the Emperor Napoleon
in reply to the invitation to take part in the Con-
gress at Paris. The reply was forwarded on the
day following the receipt of the invitation :
" My Brother and Friend—The letter which your Impe-
rial Majesty was pleased to write to me on the 4th inst.
has been delivered by your Minister. I feel that I must
without delay reply to your proposition to take part in a
Congress, which your Majesty proposes should meet in
Paris, and the object of which is to secure the base for the
maintenance of general peace in Europe. All which can
contribute to an object so much to be desired can but meet
with my approval, and I therefore immediately inform your
Majesty that I accept your invitation, and that I certainly
shall not fail to come if the co• operation of the other
European Powers can be obtained. I can the less delay to
comply with the magnanimous views of your Majesty as the
United Kingdom, which cherishes no ambitious views, nor
has anything to fear, would not be actuated at such a Con-
gress by particular interests, and could therefore devote
itself with complete impartiality to the consideration of the
most secure means of promoting the general welfare of the
peoples. These are calculated to smooth away grievances
without injuring justly founded interests. Should the ob-
ject which your Majesty has proposed be attained, you will
have gained imperishable honour by taking tho initiative
in a work calculated to promote the welfare of ruler and
people. I should esteem myself fortunate should circum-
stances allow me to unite my exertions with those of the
other Sovereigns of Europe in promoting so useful an un-
dertaking, particularly as I shall thereby find an opportu-
nity to personally renew to you the assurance of my dis-
tinguished consideration and my unchangeable friendship,
with which I remain, my Lrother and friend, and your
Imperial Majesty's good brother, and friend,
" CHARLES."

LORD BROUGHAM AND THE NATIONAL SHAK-
SPERE COMMITTEE.—The pleasant but erroneous
story that Lord Brougham thought Shakspere an overrated
man has been effectually contradicted by the noble lord him-
self, who has expressed readiness to co-operate with the
promoters of the Shakspere Tercentenary celebration. The
laughter of the clubs is therefore at an end, as far as the
ex-Chancellor's estimate of the poet is concerned. Having
thus joined the committee, his lordship will forthwith be
placed amongst the vice-presidents of the association as a
distinguished representative of literature, law, and science,
and as the official chief of a great national seat of learning.
DROPPING FROM A BALLOON.—One, yes, jest.
one cup of wine before the final plunge can do no
harm. I took off my shoes and other heavy clothing, leav-
ing them at the bottom of the car, and retaining only my
blue striped cotton shirt, my blue cloth trousers, and my
blue worsted socks. The money in my netted purse (one
shilling and sixpence only, a schoolboy's treasure), was so
trifling in weight as not to need discarding; I strung the
empty full-blown bladders to my handkerchief, which I
then tied round me beneath my arms and encircling my
chest. I looked down again at the sea, and tried to per-
suade myself that it lay not very far below. I knelt in
ttihe
car and said a short heartfelt prayer. And then instantly
fearing that a moment's delay might bring with it mbv
and hesitation, I climbed over the car and
dhuto Y
I..grother as
hands to its outside edge, with my foot cross,:
they dangled iu the air. Once more I thought of
I drew
the possibility of revisiting it, to steel my:tot,
lot go. The
home and
one deep inspiration. I closed my
was gone. Of it,
or of the balloon, I never saw anything more.—. December
car instantly slipped from my hold,eec7
No. of London Society.
CoNsumrrioN OF TEA.—In 1766, the whole
imported into Europe anaountfld to about
17,000,0001bs• ; ~,,
it was computed at 19,000,00015.
Last year,
quantity of tea
in li no
the imports into this kingdom alone were
114,787,4521b5., while the United States consume about
37,000,0001b5,, and the continent of Europe nearly a similar
quantity.
THE POSTMAN.—We cannot wonder at its being
calculated to blunt the feelings to have all the trouble of
other people's letters and none of the pleasure, and doing it
oftener in the mud and mizzle than not, and at a rate of
wages more resembling Little Britain than Great.—Mrs.
Lirriper's _Lodgings in Dickens's Christmas Number of
"All the Year Round."

MISS BREWSTER, of Craig, the sister of Sir
David Brewster, died the other day, aged 84.