The Sun.
London, England, 1863-06-24 00:00:00

The Queen of Prussia.

The Queen of Prussia, accompanied by Prince
Edward of Saxe-Weimar, waked through some of
the principal streets of Windsor on Monday last,
and afterwards proceeded on Foot to Eton College,
unrecognised by the public.
Yesterday the Queen of Prussia attended morn-
ing service in St. George's Chapel, occupying the
Royal closet. The service v, as intoned by the Rev.
Henry Butterfield, and the lessons for the day were
read by the Rev. Frederick Anson, canon in resi
deuce. The anthem was " Sleepers awake." Hem
Majesty was attended by t►.e ladies and gentle
men of her suite, and by the Hon. Mrs. Wellesley,
wife of the Dean of Windsor. Mier the service the
Queen inspected the chapel and monuments of in-
terest in the chapel. Mr. Wise was in attendance.

Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge
had a dinner pariy last evening at her Royal High-
ness's residence at St. James's Palace. There were present
among the guests, Baron Bentinck, Count Vitzhun, the
Duke and Duchess of Manchester, Maria Marchioness of
Ailesbury, the Earl St. Germans, the Earl of Sandwich,
the Earl of Wilton, Count Wimpffen, Viscount Canterbury,
Lord and Lady Rokeby, Lord and Lady Forester, Lord and
Lady Ebury, Lord and Lady Foley, Lady Marian
Alford, &c.

The Duke of Marlborough, as Lord Lieutenant
of Oxfordshire, left town yesterday to be present at the
great volunteer review.

The Duchess of Grafton is still in Paris, and it
is stated that the health of her grace is improved. The
duke is daily expected home from Paris.

The Duke of Buccleuch left town last evening
for Edinburgh, to take command of the Queen's Light
Infantry Militia Regiment, of which his grace is colonel,
The Duchess of Buccleuch will remain in town.

The Earl and Countess of Ayleaford have arrived
at Claridge's Hotel from Packington Hall, Coventry.
Lady Otho Fitzgerald bad an assembly last even-
ing at her ladyship's residence on Carlton-house-terrace.
A large party were present.
Ouorato Caetant Prince di Tune, and the Mar-
quis Francesco Nobili Vitetteschi, have arrived at Claridge's
Hotel from Rome.

Sir Henry and Lady de Hoginton, Bart., have left
2tiaurigy's Hotel for NV alton.on-Thames.

The marriage of Mr. Welby, M.P., with the
Hon. Victoria Stuart-Wortley, is fixed to take place on
Saturday, July 4.

Mr. Jaa.es Robert Walker, M.P. for Beverley,
was married yesterday to Miss Louisa Marlborough Heron,
third daughter of Sir John Heron Maxwell, at St. James's
Church, Piccadilly.

Queen Maria Theresa of Naples has arrived at
Vienna, and was received at the railway station by nearly
all the Imperial family.
THE GRAND CONSERVATIVE BANQUET.—The
committee of management met yesterday, at the offices 01
the National Conservative Registration Association, for the
allotment of places at the banquet next Friday. In conse-
quence of the large attendance it was resolved that tht
noblemen and gentlemen attending the banquet should
bring their servants with them.

POOR LAW IN QUIRY.—• ,/sr Monday an officiw
Poor-law investigation took place in the board-
room of Marylebone Workhouse, before Mr. li. B. Cane,
assistant poor-law commissioner, as to curtain charges
preferred by Viscount B.aynhatn, M.P., against Mr.
G. E. Douglas, the master, and the porter of that esta-
blishment, and as to the administration of relief to the
casual poor. Viscount Rayaham and nearly the whole of
the board of directors and guardians were present, whilst
Mr. Lewis attended professionally on behalf of the master.
The inquiry was a protracted one, and at the close the in-
spector said he would report the evidence to the Poor-law
Board.

RUSSIA AND THE POLISH QUESTION.—Accord
ing to the Presse of Vienna, the Russian Govern
ment has decided upon the policy it intends to adopt on the
Polish question, Prince GOrtschakoft is said to have de-
clared he is quite willing to discuss the Austrian proposi-
tions, with which, from the publicity given to them, he is
already familiar. He altogether rejects, however, the idea
of a conference properly so called, aid proposes in its stead
mere diplomatic negotiations to take place at St. Peters-
burg between the Russian Cabinet and the representatives
of the three great Powers. "To accept, while the question
is pending, a conference held in Paris, London, or Vienna,"
Prince Gortschakoff is reported to have sad, "would be to
recognise aforeign tribunal for a home question. The Polish
insurrection is a domestic qu stion, to be settled between
Russia and its Polish subjects; and Russia, as an indepen-
dent power, could never recognise foreign intervention on
that question without abandoning her sovereign rights."
The Vienna journal stat, s that Prince Gortschakoff gave
expression to these views a fews days since in a confidential
interview with an ambassador.

BUDGET OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA.—The Governor
of South Australia has presented to the House of
Assembly the estimates of revenue and expenditure for that
colony for the year ending the 30th of June, 1861. The
estimated revenue of all sources except sale of land is
£165,135, while an additional sum of £145,000 is estimated
as the produce of land sales in the year. This latter sum
is divisible into two parts, of which one• third goes towards
immigration, and two-thirds to public works. The depart-
mental expenditure is on a higher scale than in some of the
other Australian colonies. Chief clerks in the various
offices appear to receive £4OO a-year, and £l2O is the lowest
salary granted to a clerk. Constables are paid 7s. a day,
office messengers Bs. a day for 313 days in the year. The
sheriff is also returning officer, and has no under sheriff;
his salary is £5OO a-year. One hundred convicts are esti-
mated to cost £3,745 for supervision and maintenance, and
their labour is supposed to produce £1,500 of that amount,
The letter carriers have 7s. 6d. a day and their uniform.
Their are two inspectors of schools at £450 and £350, with
forage allowance; and the amount voted in aid of school-
masterst stipends is £12,000. The destitute poor are under
departmental care, end they are estimated to cost £5,091,
The Government printing office costs £1,355. The eccle •
siastical vote is centered in one chaplain at £3OO, and a re-
ligious instructor to convicts at £l5O, State aid otherwise
being unknown in South Australia. The Volunteer force
costs £7,142, and her Majesty's troops in the colony receive
£1,139 as colonial pay. Under the head of law officers ap-
pears a Parliamentary draughtsman at £5OO, in addition to
the Attorney General and Crown Solicitor. The colony
has three judges and an insolvency commissioner. The
Lands Titles Departments costs South Australia £6,489 a
year. The Customs, estimated at £200,000, are collected at
an expense of 16,585. The Marine Boards are Govern-
ment departments, costing with the lighthouses £lO,BOl,
while the revenue derivable from them is £4,250 The total
receipts to meet this expenditure of £465,578 are £465,1:15,
and £145,000 from laud sales,which will leave the Treasury
for the financial year the sum of £89,963 to pay interest and
capital on the bonded debt for public works, amounting to
£867,500, and still leave a considerable balance in the
Treasury.

A MILITARY OFFICER HORSEWHIPPED AT THE
NEW CLUB.—Within the last few weeks a scandal,
involving the character of a military officer of rank in this
city, and that of a young unmarried lady of lYghly respect-
able connections, has been matter of public comment. It
appears that the wife of the military officer concerned was
suspicious as to her husband's fidelity as to herself and
conduct towards the young lady in question ; and that a
watch having been set, certain proofs were obtainea.
The matter, however, did riot rest here. The
brother-in-law of the young lady, who holds an official
position in the Edinburgh Rifle Volunteers, having got
possession of a letter in which certain arrangements were
proposed in the event of the officer being divorced from his
present wife, came in contact with him in the New Club on
Saturday last, and on his acknowledging the authenticity
of the document, produced a horsewhip, and sounC.ly casti-
gated him. The matter has come to the ears of the Com-
mander-in-Chief of the Forces for Scotland ; and it is
s uc whentn
rumoured that yesterday morning, the horsewhipped-officer
was placed under arrest.—Caledohutn. Mercury.
Blood,oth a
Waggish Beefeater,
ou( haven'toi i g
" off" with the Regalia—" Y
as a Crown about you ?"—Fun,

LITERATURE.

Chesterford and Some of Its People. By the Author
of " A Bld Beginning." Thireo Vols. Smith

and Elder.

Mr. John Parkholm, a barrister by profcssion,
but possessed of a small independence, who has
reached the shady side of thirty, with a strong pre'
judice in favour of bachelorhood, accepts an invitail
lion to visit Mr. Rivers, the rector of Chesterford.
To that delightful little town we also repair, not in
Mr. Parkho;re's company, but in the society of Miss
Harriet Thompson, the apparently cold and
scheming daughter of a would• be first-rate fashion-
able mamma. Ash Cottage is our destination, the
happy home of the very charming, but somewhat
espiegle and capricious, Katharine Lyndon and her
very delightful mother. Miss Harriet 'Thompson,
anxious to meet with some saper-excellent parti,
and looking down upon her country cousin, K.athe-
rice, with supreme contempt, discovers, after
a very short residence at Chesterford, that she, the
cold and calculating Harriet, has lost her heart to
one far below her ambitious expectations, and that
the fortunate possessor of this treasure does not
covet the honour thrust upon him, but is desperately
in love with her despised cousin, the insignificant
Katherine. The sequel to such cross purposes we
shall not reveal. Some portions of the denouement
are very tenderly and beautifully described, espe-
cially the scene where Katherine goes to the par-
sonage and meets her lover, towards the close
of the story. But we cannot refrain from
uttering a passing protest against the pas-
sionate vehemence displayed by Harriet Thompson.
The emotions of any one of ordinarily calm and col-
lected exterior are, generally speaking, when
allowed to break forth more violent and irrepres-
sible than all others—the very force of the previous
restraint gives added violence to the outpouring,
but we do not thick, even with these allowances,
that the conduct of Harriet is true tonature. It is,
altogether, too unwomanly. Apart from this blemish
the diff'erent characters of the two cousins are well
contrasted and welt developed as the mighty passion
affects the hearts and influences the actions of each.
Katherine is far from perfect. Her archness and
playfulness almost amount, in appearance at least,
to coquetry and caprice, at all events they pass for
such in the severe eyes of the immaculate Mrs.
riaompson and her equally censorious daughter, the
jealous Harriet. Interwoven with Katherine's
story is the very interesting and melancholy episode
of the loves of Ned Alston, a fine, high-spirited,
generous-hearted, young farmer of the neighbour-
hood, and Polly Peacock, the pretty daughter of
The Pompous Grocer of Chesterford, High-street.
This Titus Peacock is quite a character, and is in-
deed overwhelming. We must confess that,
unless, like Mies Bobble, we expressly went "forth
to battle," we should ourselves prefer passing on
the other side of the High-street. Even bene-
volent Severn Sparke, the chemist, the next-door
neighbour of the dreadful Peacock would not at-
tract us to the vicinity of that shop. Very high
are Mr. Peacock's ideas of the privileges of trade.
Let a customer presume to purchase a single article
elsewhere, and never more may they darken Mr.
Peacock's door. Never more will their money be
taken across his counter; never more may their
palates be feasted with the best bacon and butter of
all Chesterford. Poor Mrs. Draper, who has unwit-
tingly erred, is nearly annihilated by the magnifi-
cent wrath of the offended grocer. Polly Pea-
cock, the golden-haired daughter of this
imperious potentate, is the beauty of the
town, but is, alas! also vain, aspiring, and coquet-
tish. Possessing the questionable advantages of a
genteel breeding, school education—a little French,
and a little pianoforte playing—the grocer's daugh-
ter aspires to be a lady, and listens to the compli-
ments of the flippant Mrs. Charles Chatterley, even
while her heart responds to honest Ned Alston's
true affection. The end of Polly's story is more
praiseworthy than at the commencement, and that
end is very naturally and forcibly told. Many a
home lesson is eloquently enforced by this
essentially dramatic novel. The married history of
Mr. and Mrs. Chamberlayne is a study worthy of
ataentive observation by many mistaken wives and
fo rgett ul mothers. We quote from another chapter
tae following beautiful and truthful remarks on