The Sun.
London, England, 1863-07-15 00:00:00

PRIVATE BUSINESS.

The Rumney and Brecon and Merthyr Tydvil Junction
Railways bill was read a third time.
_ .

THE INDIAN BUDGET.

Mr. BAZLEY intimated that to-morrow he should ask
the Secretary of State for India, when he intended to make
Ens anLual financial statement.
KITCHEN AND REFRESHMENT-ROOMS.—
ADJOURNED DEBATE.

Sir DE LACY EVANS, in the absence of the hon. and
gallant member for Roscommon (Colonel French), proposed
the following motion :—" That in the opinion of this house
the enlargement of the dining rooms proposed by the com-
mittee on the kitchen and refreshment rooms should be
carried into execution." The proposed alteration was indis-
pensable for the comfort and convenience of the members.
Lord HOTHAM. opposed the motion, because the pro-
posed alterations would interfere with the division lobbies,
and would be a waste of public money. The fact was that
some hon. members desired to assimilate the refreshment
room of the House of Commons to the coffee-rooms of the
Clubs, which he considered an objectionable step. One of
the coffee-rooms was opdn to the public. If, therefore,
hon. members required more accommodation this room
could be kept entirely for them. It was proposed to allow
the manager of the rooms £2OO a year, in order to obtain
better viands and wines. He objected to the expenditure
of the public money on any such purpose, because it would
be akin to paying wages to members of Parliament. Let
hon. members pay for what they had.
Sir P. O'BRIEN supported the proposed change.

Sir J. TRELAWNY deprecated the expenditure of
public money on members' dinners. Such a suggestion
made in public made his blood boil. (Laughter.) If they
acceded to such an allowance they would greatly lower the
dignity of the house.
Mr. BASS considered that an ample allowance should
be allowed to the caterer.
Mr. OSBORNE was surprised at a financial reformer
like the.hon. member (Mr. Bass) supporting this motion.
Mr. BASS—No, no.
Mr. OSBORNE understood that he sat for Derby on
financial reform principles.
Mr. BASS--Nothing of the kind.
Mr. OSBORNE said the house was so defectively con-
structed, even at a cost of £3,000,000, that neither that
house nor any part of it was properly constructed. The
committee who drew up the report on the proposed alrera-
lions not only desired a sumptuous dining room, but cel-
lars where some eminent wine merchants who had been
selected could deposit stocks of wines. If this were
permitted, the Speaker would often find himself alone in
the chair, and the hon. member for Derby and the others
who had signed the report would spend their days and
nights in drinking. (Roars of laughter.) 'The debates
were never better conducted than in the old days of mutton
and chops at Bellamey's.
Col. WHITE explained that the cellars were already
constructed. The commtttee, in making their recommen-
dations, imply desired to promote the comfort and conve-
nience of the members. Mr. Steers supplied wine at a very
reasonable price.
Mr. BENTINCK supported the motion.
Mr. COWPER said the house ought to be much obliged
to the committee for the trouble they had taken in this
matter. It would be well to try and discover whether better
accommodation could not be made without the proposed
expenditure of £5,000. (Hear, hear.) He advised the hon.
and gallant member to withdraw his motion and defer the
matter until next session.

After a few words from Mr. DELievx,
Sir DE LACY EVANS withdrew the motion.
PARTNERSHIP LAW AMENDMENT BILL.
This bill was recommitted, in order to introduce some
amendments.
Mr. HUBBARD moved that the chairman leave the
chair. He considered that the bill in the present form
would prove utterly valueless to the commercial commu-

nity.
Mr. CAVE, whilst he considered the principle of
"limited liability" incited the people to embark in
hazardous speculations, yet he should support the
bill, though based somewhat on that system, because it
would merely use it in its very mildest and harmless sense.
Mr. GOSCHEN warmly supported the bill.
(LEFT SITTING.)

WASHINGTON IRVING'S characteristic was quiet
humour ; mild enough, but quaint ; as when he said
to a gentleman who, in a thunder-storm, declined to take
shelter under a tree, having promised to his father, who had
been once hit, never to do so,—" Oh, that makes all the
difference in the world. If it is hereditary, and lightning
runs in your family, you are wike."
ROGERS'S ANECDOTE ABOUT LORD ABERDEEN'S
SEA-SICKNESS.—WhiIe I was in Paris, in driving
out, one day, with my niece in the. Champs Elysees, we
nearly ran over my old friend Rogers. We stopped and
took him in. He was in one of his yearly epicurean visits to
Paris, to enjoy the Italian opera and other refined sources
of pleasure. The hand of age begins to bow him down, but

his intellect is clear as ever, and his talents and taste for
society ,in full vigour. He breakfasted with us several
times, and I have never known him more delightful. He
would sit for two or three hours continually conversing,
and giving anecdotes of all the conspicuous persons who
have figured within the last sixty years, with most

of whom he has been on terms of intimacy. He has
refined upon the art of telling a story, until he has
brought it to the most perfect simplicity, where there is not
a word too much or too little, and where every word has its
effect. His manner, too, is the most quiet, natural, and
unpretending that can be imagined. I was very much
amused by an anecdote he gave us of little Queen Victoria
and her nautical vagaries. Lord Aberdeen has had to
attend her in her cruisings, very much against his will, or,
at least, against his stomach. You know he is one of the
gravest and most laconic men in the world. The Queen,
one day, undertook to reconcile him to his fate. I believe,
my lord,' said she, graciously, you are not often sea-sick.'
Always, madam,' was the grave reply.—' But,' still
. . . _ _ _

more graciously, ' not very sea-sick!—With profounder
gravity, VERY, madam !'—Lord Aberdeen declares, that
if her Majesty persists in her cruisings, he will have to
resign."

HEALTH OF LONDON.—The deaths in London in

the week that ended on Saturday were 1,287. This
return exhibits an increase of 100 deaths on that of the pre-
vious week; and it is also higher than any weekly number
returned since the end of May. The average number
derived from corresponding weeks (1853.62), and corrected
for increase of population, is 1,170; and the deaths

in last week are therefore more by 117 than they would
have been if the average rate of mortality had prevailed.
At the present time searlatina is the most fatal of all the
epidemic diseases, and the deaths from it in the week rose
to 113, while those from diphtheria declined to seven. Five
deaths from scarlatina occurred in the Kensington Town
sub-district, six in the rectory sub-district of Marylebone,
five in Islington east. It prevails to a considerable ex•
tent in the east division. Small-pox was returned in 55

cases, 19 of which occurred in the west districts. There
were nine deaths from this disease in the Westminster dis-
trict, four in the Berwick-street sub-district, four in Si. An-
drew eastern. Seven of the 65 deaths are stated to have
oecurred to persons who had been vaccinated,
,but it fre-
quently happens in such cases that the evidence of success-
ful performance of the operation is not much to be de-
pended on. Diarrhoea has been increasing lately, as is
usual in the summer months ; and last week the deaths
from it rose to 91. There were also 10 from cholera,
chiefly " cholera infantum." A widow died at the age of
99 years. Last week the births of 989 boys and 994 girls,
in all 1,983 children, were registered in London. In the
ten corresponding weeks of the years 182-62 the average
number (corrected) was 1,777.

CHASING A HIPPOPOTAMUS. -- A hippopotomus
which was being conveyed in a steamer on the
Detroit river a few weeks ago jumped overboard and swam
for the shore. A boat was lowered and started in pursuit.
Ali, the Egyptian keeper of the brute, commenced calling
him by familiar names, and at the sound of his voice the
monster stopped, looked around, and seemed to wait for the
boat to near him ; but just as he approached within reach-
ing distance the hippopotamus gave a plunge and once
more disappeared, leaving a whirlpool of seething water to
mark the spot where he had gone down. Nothing was
seen of hits now for a long time, and they were about
giving him up for lost when he suddenly made his appear-
ance about 100 yards off, but nearer the shore than at
first. Ali again rowed towards him, calling to him a:
be-
fore, but again the Least dodged him, and dived t thehis
bottom of the river. Ali now made a large withcircuit
boat, in hopes of taking him by surprise as ha came up to
_,_nius
breathe ; but, as if aware of his intentions, the hijs,pri P°'
°started in
rose at a long distance off. For the third time Ali
went down
pursuit with a remit similar to that which
other attempts to re-capture his pet. Wh.
~..,, nonplussed,
the third time Ali paused, evidently cdemdePsipeawir`J.
In a second,
and seemingly overcome by grief
and
toward the steamer.
however, he seized the oars and rowed ehn
he went
his
alongside ; "gib me
" Try de tog I" he shouted,
as
he carne
been trained to sleep in
de tog 1" A large mastiff,
- upa continued howling from
much affection,hadbeenkeep
had :gaped, was now loosened, and
the cage of the hippopotamus, which
hd
for whom he had evinced
the time his companion
the hippopotamus again
moved off. r
_n abontutaof
the water, ard, on seeing him,
stuck hie huge he.acti
wii °bark and swam in his direction very
he instantly plungedinto tmhicuruitever and swam after Ali as he
n and, with a series of barks, com-
the dog gave a ---
anying him in the boat. At last the
rapidly, Ali accommop
titer,
hippopotamus following.. The interest
round the animal, and finally struck out
for the shore,. t
scene was intense, which continued •
to in-
du
joegia reached red
excited by this sc
and the hippopota
e until the dog
owiatlett
mus reached the
crease
American shore in safety. Ali was not long after, ar.d the
animal was no sooner on terra firma than the Egyptian
• h mall rawhide, which he had taken with him,
armed wit a s
i ped on the beach, and, going to the animal, spoke a few
":omrds, gave him a few smarts cuts over his ponderous rump
with the rawhide, and drove him without further difficulty
to a place of safety, where he was at once secured.