The Sun.
London, England, 1839-12-17 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SIR,—As the law of high treason in this country is
based upon the statute of Edward 111., I feel it may be
important to state, that whatever extension may have
been since given to the interpretation of that Act, it did
not, and could not, at the time of its enactment, con-
template a Queen Regnant, such being then unknown
to the British Constitution, and consequently not within
the view of the Legislature. The Saxon Constitution
never admitted females to the throne, and the only
female claimant that had been since the Norman Con-
quest, Matilda, though daughter, and sole surviving
child of the preceding King, Henry I„ with all the ad-
vantages of uniting in herself the Saxon and Norman
lines, was unable to establish her claim against Stephen,
the nearest male heir to his grandfather, King William,
the Conqueror.
It is true her son Henry succeeded to the throne on
the death of his cousin Stephen, in virtue of a pre-
arrangement made during that king's life. But this
does not establish the right of his mother, Matilda,
inasmuch as Henry, on the death of Eustace, son of
Stephen, became, nearest male heir, his own right as a
male heir to the Conqueror being also preferable to that
of Stephen himself, Henry deriving from a son of the
Conqueror, while Stephen was from a daughter.
What confirms this view of the Act, is the
fact that it was passed in the reign of Edward 111.,
who claimed the Crown of France under circum-
stances pretty similar to those under which Henry
Plantagenet had claimed the English Crown.
Edward, during the life time of his mother Isabella,
asserted his claim to France, as being nearest male heir
to his uncle Charles, while he fully admitted that the
Constitution of that country, by excluding females, set
aside his mother Isabella.

It is clear, then, that the Saxon Constitution, not
admitting females to the Throne, and Matilda's claims,
after the Norman conquest, having been rejected, the
Act in question could not at the time of its enactment
be supposed to have contemplated, by any latitude of
interpretation, its extension, so as to include, on its ap-
lication, a Queen Regnant. Even at a later period,
Margaret, though supposed to be the only surviving
child of Edward IV., was held to be only Queen Con-
sort, as wife of Henry VII., and not Queen Regnant,
not even being conjoined by name with her husband in
the Acts of State.

The first female who was admitted to reign in Eng-
land as Queen Regnant was Mary Tudor, commonly
called " Bloody Mary."
I am, Sir, yours, &c.
WILLIAM S. VILLIERS SANKEY.
London, Dec. 16,1839.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.

TATTERSALL'S.-YESTERDAY.

The betting yesterday afternoon, without being by any means
heavy, was far less dull than on the previous Thursday : the
prices quoted.below will how that it was not altogether•with-
out interest. Brother to Euclid and the Angelica colt were
each backed at 16 to I—the former freely, and, as it appeared
to us, with a trifling call-15 to 1, in fact, was taken about him
to a hundred pounds ; but the average was, as we have stated.
17 to 1 was offered against Muley Ishmael, whose friends were
neither numerous nor sanguine ; a point more, however, would
have been taken. Launcelot (with backers) and Wardan were
at 20 to 1 each, and Bokhara at 24 to 1, laid once or twice
but not offered afterwards ; Ottoman was backed several times
at 33 to 1, and the Velvet colt, first at 35, and afterwards
40 to 1; the latter odds were laid against Prince Albert to a
hundred pounds. The Oaks was noticed to same purpose
8 to 1 was laid and afterwards offered repeatedly against
Crucifix, and offers were made to back Currency against her
within an hour and a half of the close, when 10 to 1 was laid
against Currency, two or three parties volunteering at the
same time to take those odds about the Stockbridge filly.
Closing prices—.

THE DERBY.
16 to 1 agst Brother to Euclid—taken
16 to 1 agst Angelica colt—taken
17 to 1 agst Muley Ishmael—take 18 to 1
29 to 1 apt Launcelot—taken
20 to 1 agst Wardan
24 to 1 apt Bokhara—taken
25 to 1 apt St. Andrew —take 30 to 1
33 to 1 apt Ottoman—taken
35 to 1 apt Glenorchy—taken
40 to 1 apt Prince Albert—taken
40 to 1 agst Velvet colt—taken
40 to I apt Fitzroy
50 to 1 agst Confederate-..taken
50 to I agst Janus—taken
,000 to 5 apt Foundling ( Schedam's colt)--taken
600 to 300 on Muley Ishmael apt Glenorchy—taken.
THE OAKS.
8 to 1 apt Crucifix—take 10 to 1.
9 to 1 agst Lalla Rookh—taken
10 to 1 apt Currency—taken
15 to 1 agst Pocahontas—taken
25 to 1 apt Diploma—taken.
Offers to back Currency against Crucifix.

PEEL CLUB DINNER.—The annual dinner of
the Peel Club will take place on Monday week, and the
Earl of Eglintoun will preside on the occason. In con-
sequence, the interest excited is unusually strong, and
we understand the tickets are moving off with unwonted
rapidity.—Glasgow Courier.

At the cattle show held in Baker-street, we ob-
served on Friday several ladies who interest themselves
in agricultural and useful pursuits. Amongst them
were Lady Leicester, Lady Dacre, Mrs. George Byng,
Mrs. Fox Lane, &c.
MRS. GORE'S " PREFERMENT."—The bril-
liant sketches of character which distinguish this new
production of our most popular female writer, form at
this moment an interesting subject of conversation with
the reading world. What a list of fashionable worthies
are we brought acquainted with First and foremost,
we have the stately Tivertons, with the proud and
pompous Duke of Pelham at their head ; followed at
due distance by the Earl, a walking rent-roll, a moving
patent of nobility (the depository of the family " Pre-
ferment") ; then come his brother, the Hon. Adolphus
Egerton, and his nephew, the Hon. Dick Egerton--
one the prince of dandies, the other his promising pu-
pil ; Julius Egerton—the ostensible hero of the tale—
the scholar and genius of the family, whom " Prefer-
ment," and the want of it, transform alternately into a
saint at Helstone Rectory, and little better than one of
the wicked when he gets into the world. The elegant
and exclusive Lady Ismena, too, and the natural but
heartless Lady Henrietta, and, last in the family list, the
Hon. William, a truly virtuous, exemplary, and happy
man, purely in consequence of his younger brotherly
qualification of an empty purse, and a domestic temper.
Then comes the fussy, fidgetty Aunt Rachel—learned
in Debrett, and tolerating no Burke but him of the
Peerage ; the warm-hearted, but crack-brained Captain
Heseltine, who takes an interest in nothing nearer
home than the North Pole or New Zealand ; his charm-
ing and amiable, though a little too satirical, daughter
Georgy ; the truly Lord-like, because truly noble and
generous Lord Storby ; the half-bred Mitfords, of
Mitford ; and a host of others, all so true to the life,
that it is impossible to believe they were not drawn
from it.
BIJOU ALMANACK.—Mr. Schloss has pre-
sented to the Queen a copy of this singular publication,
with a beautiful miniature portrait of Prince Albert. It
is enclosed in a case richly embroidered with the rose,
thistle, and shamrock, encircling the initials of her Ma-
jesty. Besides the calendar it contains six poems and
six portraits of wonderful likeness, and the volume alto-
gether is only about half an inch square, and the eighth
of an inch thick. He has another in preparation for
her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent.
SPORTING SHEET ALAMANAC.---TiliS iS too
general a title for an Almanac, which, with the ex-
ception of the calendar, is entirely devoted to subjects
connected with horse racing, but, as regards these, it is
very comprehensive. It gives the winners of some of
the principal stakes in England from 1800 to the pre-
sent time, the horses entered for the Derby, Oaks, and
St. Leger, for 1840, the members of the Jockey Club,
the lengths of the principal race courses, and the closing
of stakes for the coming year. It is embellished with
a very good view of Ascot grand stand, and the race
course on the great day of the week, when the Royal
family generally attend, and the finest exhibition of this
kind in the world is displayed.
THE BISHOP OF LICHFIELD.-.-The last
homage which living gratitude can render to departed
worth, has been offered by the inhabitants of Shrews-
bury and Shropshire to the memory of Dr. Butler, the
venerable Bishop of Lichfield—the talented and amiable
Master of Shrewsbury Schools, and the f: fend, the in-
structor, and the guide of the two last generations of
many of the Burgesses of Shrewsbury, and the gentry of
England and Wales.

UNDER STORM.—On Saturday morning,
about seven o'clock, a terrific storm of thunder and light-
ning burst over this town. The lightning, which was
exceedingly vivid, was instantaneously followed by the
most awful peals of thunder ; but we have not heard of
any accident resulting from it.—Brighton Gazette.

SIII,—I shall feel obliged if you will inform me on
the following case under the New Postage Bill :
A letter directed to A (a person) was sent from
B to C (towns) : A had left C, it was, therefore, re-
directed to him at D ; is it liable to a second postage ?

In similar cases a frank would be carried without
further charge, and does not fourpence once paid frank
a letter to any part of the United Kingdom ? Of
course I speak of a letter under half an ounce.

In the case that I have given, the second charge has
been enforced. Yours obliged,
Derby, Dec. 13, 1839. B.

[There is nothing in the Treasury Minutes, we
believe, which alters the regulations of the Post-office
previously in existence relative to the point mentioned
by our Correspondent. We presume, therefore, that it
is intended to charge two postages on all letters sent
first to ono place and then re-sent to another, on the
principle that two postings have taken place by an at-
tempt at delivery, and two sortings. The point is, how-
ever, a doubtful one, and the publication of our Cor-
respondent's letter will probably bring forth an official
declaration of the determination of the Post-office, and
the reasons for it.]