The Sun.
London, England, 1863-07-09 00:00:00

POLAND.

Sir J. FERGUSSON intimated that when the ad-
journed debate came on he intended to ask the hon. member
for Sheffield (Mr. Roebuck) a question.

INDIAN BUDGET.

Sir C. WOOD intimated, in reply to an hon. member,
that he had not yet determined the exact day when he
should call attention to the finances of India.
FORTIFICATIONS (PROVISION FOR EX-
PENSES) BILL.
Lord PALMERSTON moved the second reading of this
bill.
Sir F. SMITH moved, as an amendment, " That no
further expenditure be incurred for the present upon that
part of the project for fortifications which is based on the
assumption that an enemy might land in force and attempt
to besiege Portsmouth and Plymouth, except on such works
as are in a very advanced state of progress."
(LEFT 'EAKING.)

PRESENTATION OF A VICTORIA CROSS.—Thild
honourable decoration has been awarded to George
Hinckley, a quartermaster of the Sphinx, 6, paddle-sloop,
for gallant conduct in an attack Dia the city of Fung-wha,
China, on October 9, 1862. Ilinckley car rie d off; while ex-
posed to a heavy fire from the enemy in going and coming,
The
two officers d
off at on his shoulders, one aDevonPortfter the otonherThurs-
day, the ceremony of the presentation of the cross took Sphinx being about to be pai
place there at the Government Parade, Mount "Wise, on
Tuesday. About 1,000 seamen and
.marines were landed
from the various men-of.war in commission there to w itness
the presentation. Admiral Sir Houston Stewart, K.c.8,,
presented the cross in the name of her Majesty.
FIRE AT THE TZARSE.O-ZELO PALACE.---•A few
dayss i since
itreTzbarraokkoe.zneluet atthe
he Emperor of
,
near St. Petersburg,
through the carelessness of a servant, who forgot to extin-
guish his light on going
spa lac a e
to bed. The servant's room was
situated in the fourth story, on the left side
of the front of
the palace, and the tire extended through two stories above.
The church is not destroyed, though much damaged, but
the cupola fell in. The pictures and valuable objects in
many of the principal apartments were preserved,
,but much
material damage was done to the building.
VOLTAIRE'S ESTIMATE or
TUE rOP ES.—The
interest of the human race requires a check on the
power of sovereigns for the
protection of the people. This
religious check might, b
put in the hands of the Poyp egeneral agreement, have been
interfering in temporal us. •
• These Pontiffs, by
arrels
q
warning kings andpeoples only to appease them, by
reserving
of their duties, by rebuking
their crimes, by
atrocities, would have been
alexcommunications for grew;
ot
n are
God upon earth; but me ways regarded as the images
to the laws and morals of their
country—lawreduced for their defence
and morals often corrupted.— _susna often despised,
.L
AN INCIDENT IN
TREH leesM.
OUSE OF COMMONS.—
Yesterday, at the morn
curious incident occurred in the Houseingsitting, a somewhat
ing a violation of one of the of Commons, involv-
standing orders of the house.
It is known to those who are in the habit of attending the
House of Commons that immediately after prayers the
Speaker takes his seat at the clerk's table, and sits there
until 40 members are present, that number being necessary
to make " a house." During that period of waiting no
member who has entered the house
if member,
ouse must leave it until
the required 40 are present an
ignorance or forgetfulness of the standingerdera:
ventures
towards the door, he is politely requested by the ser-
geant-at-arms to retire to his seat. Yesterday, at ten
minutes past twelve, there were not more than 20 mem-
bers present, when Sir William Dunbar, one of the Lords
of the Treasury, hastily left the Ministerial bench, and
went out of the house unperceived by Captain Gosset, the
deputy sergeant, who was in aGendance. Mr. C. Forster
and Col. French communicated what had occurred to Capt.
Gosset, who had been conversing with the Marquis of
Hartington, and off went the captain in search of the fugi-
tive Lord of the Treasury. In the course of a few minutes
Sir William Dunbar, much to the amusement of the mem-
bers present, made his way back into the house by a aide
door, Capt. Gosset having missed him in the lobby. Soon
afterwards a house was formed, and the Speaker, who appa-
rently enjoyed the affair as well as the other members, was
not officially informed of the mistake which the incautious
Lord of the Treasury had made.—Atornrng Post.
MONTROND'S DEBUT AS A GAMBLER as related
by Captain Gronow :—" When very young, at the
court of Marie Antoinette, a certain M. de Champagne, an
officer of the Guards, who was playing at cards with him,
said, Monsieur, vous iricher.' I‘fontrond answered, with
the sang-froid' which distinguished him through life
under very different circumstances, C'est possible ; main js
n'aime pas qu'on me le dise,' and threw the cards in Chem-
,pagne's face. They fought next morning with swords, and
Montrond was run through the body. He was confined to
but when he got well again, called
his bed for two months,
Champagne, and, although he received another
out M. de
• wound, succeeded in killing his adversary. This duel set
him up in the world as a dangerous man to meddle with,
and saved him from many insults, to which his very E
• luck at play would have exposed him. T-
picious Aleyrand
said,d propos of this, 'II vit sur son mort,'"