The Sun.
London, England, 1863-08-05 00:00:00

Health of the Princess of Wales.

From inquiries instituted yesterday, it appears
that the Princess is going on extremely well, that
she was enabled to take a carriage drive on Monday
afternoon, and was enabled to go into the Park for an
hour or two yesterday. The Princess has not been
at any time seriously unwell, but the rapidity of
the movement of the Royal pair about the coun-
try during the last few weeks led much to depres-
sion, consequent upon fatigue, and it was feared
that the elaborate programme of the proceedings
prepared at Halifax, together with the other
visits which were to be paid in the course of the
tour of the Royal party to Scotland, would be too
great a strain upon the exertions of her Royal
Highness in her present delicate state.

MR. BARNETT'S BENEFIT—LYCEUM THEATRE.
The patrons of this popular resort will be gratified
to learn that the performances for the benefit of Mr. 11.
Barnett, the acting manager and treasurer, will come off on
Saturday next, when we hope the worthy beneficiaire will
be honoured with a bumper. Irrespective of Mr. Barnett's
claims, the last representation of " The Duke's Motto"
will certainly attract a crowded house.
We have good authority for contradicting th
statement, contained in the circular correspondence
from Rio Janeiro by the recent Brazilian mail, that a pro-
mise had been given by Earl Russell to the Comma' dbur
Carvalho Moreira, the late Brazilian Minister in London, to
the effect that Mr. Christie should never return to Rio.
The declarations of her Majesty's Ministers in Parliament
and the refusal of M. Moreira's demands, which led to his
retirement from his Court, show the entire approval of Mr.
Christie's conduct with the Government of Brazil.—Post.
A FLAG OF TRUCE ON A NOVEL SUBJECT.—A
flag of truce came to our lines a day or two ego on
the following subject :—lt represented that an Engl:sh lady,
resident of Vicksburg, in one of those critical conditions
from which neither rank nor wealth exempt Eve's daughters
in a state of matrimony, desired to enter our lines that the
" interesting event" might take place at some point not so
exclusively under the sway of the war god, A request
appealing so directly to the sympathies of our na.ure was
readily granted. The prospective mother was permitted to
enter our lines and proceed to Memphis,—Cincinnati Com-
mercial.

We understand that the directors of the Alex-
andra Park Company have arranged with Messrs. lielk
and Lucas for the reconstruction, on an improved design,.
of the Exhibition Building of 1862, on the heights of
Muswell hill.

MR. W. HOWITT'S MARY JANE !—ln a letter re-
plying to his reviewers in the Quarterly and Blackwood"
Magazine, in the matter of Spiritualism, Mr. W. Howitt an-
nounces the publication of a curious book, entitled " Mary
Jane." "And now, sir," he says, " I come to a most ex-
traordinary fact. A gentleman of high scientific and
chemical knowledge living at this moment in London, a pro.
teased and out-and-out naatetialist ; a man who does not
believe in any soul or spirit ; that he has got any soul or
spirit himself ; who believes only in matter and its proper-
ties, has sat down and practically searched into the alleged
spiritual phenomena, and has just printed, though not yet
published, a book under the odd title of Mary Jane,' in
which he announces that every one of the so-called spiritua
phenomena is real ; that he and his wife have obtained them
all, and more than all. That this intelligence, which he calls
Mary Jane, but which he imagines only an emanation of
matter, has given safe and most intelligent messages
through them ; has played aomirably on a guitar, time after
time, simply laid on his wife's knee, who is wholly ignorant
of music; has moved tables, lifted about a sheet of zino
three or tour feet in diameter, folded up an oil cloth table-
cover and carried it away into another room, and, most
wonderful of all, has given them a number of coloured
drawings by merely laying sheets of paper on the floor, and
after that, by shutting up blank sheets in a box, closing it,
and pasting paper over the opening ; and gentlemen
present, to test the fact, then writing their names all over
the paper so pasted on to prevent any possibility of the box
being opened without detection. Yet, out of this box six
coloured drawings at once have been produced in the
presence of these gentlemen; and still further, that Mary
Jane promises to give them others in an iron chest locked
with a Chubb's lock. I shall go no further into detail, be-
cause the book is already printed and must soon see the
light."
GROSS OUTRAGEIN A RAILWAY CARRIAGE.—At
the Ashford Petty Sessions, on Saturday, Edgar
Hicks, grocer, of Rye, Sussex, a married man with a family,
was charged with commit Ling an indecent assault on Julia
Burgess, daughtet of a farmer living at Winchilsea, on
the 21st of July. Mr, Delasaux, of Canterbury, appeared
for the complainant, and Mr. Sleigh, barrister, instructed
by Mr. Butler, of Bye, for the defendant. It appeared
that, on the evening of the 21st of July, the complainant
was returning from Wye to WiLchilsea, and had to change
carriages at Ashford. While waiting at the Ashford sta-
tion she had some conversation with the defendant, whom
she knew before, and whom she believed to be a respect-
able man. When they left Ashford they got into a first-
class carriage, in which there were no other passengers.
Shortly after the train started the defendant attempted to
kiss the complainant, but she resisted and struck him on
the mouth. After that he committed a gross outrage upon
her. She then threatened to give him into custody at the
Ham-street station, btit he expressed regret for what he had
done, and, in consideration of his wife and family, she did
not give him in charge. Atter the train left Ham -street
Hicks again committed an indecent assault upon the com-
plainant. Mr. Sleigh, for the defence, called several wit-
nesses, who gave Hicks a good character, but the bench
fined him £5 and costs.TlCentish, Gazette.

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EXTRAORDINARY LONGEVITY.—The Hampshire
papers record the death of Jane Hoskins, at Itomsey, who
was 109 years old. She was twice married—first to a
hawker, and secondly to a woodcutter, She enjoyed
throughout life good health, and her death resulted simply
from decay. She was a smoker of tobacco.
STIPENDIARY MAGISTRATES.—The Act to enable
cities, towns, and borougt.s of 25,01,0 inhabitants
to appoint stipendiary magistrates has just been printed.
The local board of a city or place may resolve to have a
magistrate, and fix the sale, y. The Crown is appointed a
barrister of not less than five years' standing. A police
office is to be provided, and a clerk appointed by the magis-
trate. The expenses are to be defrayed out of the local
Fares.

LIBERTY OF THE PRESS IN FRANCE.—Girerdin
iS, we hear, busy correcting the sheets of a book
entitled " Question de Presse," in which he has collected
all the materials for the defence of his famous " new of
the liberty of the press. Another more Important volume
will appear somewhat later, under the tile " Libel to de la
Presse"—a collection of edicts, ordonnances, decrees, laws,
arretds, reports, exposes, &c., and verdicts given in the
matter of the press, printing offices and libraries in general,
with a chronological list and an analytical register of all
condemnations pronounced up to 1863 for crimes and con-
traventions of " printed thought,"
CONFEDERATE KIN DNESS.—A correspondent
with the army of the Potomac says ;—" While
lying in line on the evening of the 2d, I saw two rebels
come from the fight with a wounded Union soldier leaning
on their shoulders, and they each had au arm supporting
his back. As they were helping him to our hospital, another
squad of eight rebels came into our lines with a stretcher
and a wounded Union officer on it,"