The Sun.
London, England, 1863-11-03 00:00:00

THE RAM QUESTION.

The Birkenhead and Cheshire Advertiser of Satur-
day contains the following on the above subject :
" The speech of our now famous member, delivered
in the Music Hall last week, has brought down
upon him and the firm with which his name is still
generally associated the thunders which have been
for some time accumulating in the Foreign-office.
Earl Russell the Rash—always hasty and hot-
tempered, except when he is dealing with one who
is greater than he or wh 3 is as cross-grained as him-
self—has been goaded into one of his angry fits, and
breaks through the restraints which have hitherto
been imposed upon him by the constitution, which,
next to Magna Chavta and the archives of the House
of Bedford, of glorious and immortal memory, was
once his pride and boast. The two vessels (which
we take the liberty of calling by their right names
(the French rams), have been seized, the workmen
turned away, and their places supplied by seamen
and marines, and in every possible way a complete
anti radical confiscation has been effected. The
Royal attainder of the one great Russell of history
was not more complete than is the act of the inheri-
tor of his name. From this time forward the ram
question is a Russelite appendage, and will either
add new lustre to the waning star of Woburn, or
cause its last iay to sink behind a cloud of obscurity
darker than that from which it emerged. The
question is a great one—of that there can be no
doubt. It is a national question—an international
one, and it is rapidly swelling into most gigantic
proportions. That of the Alexandra was a dwarf

by the side of it. People prate of the rams being
built for the Confederate Government. No such
thing. They will reach their destined home with-
out crossing the Atlantic at all. The Bay of Bis-
cay is more in their line. People talk, as people
will talk, but who knows anything real and re-
liable P Is not everything surmise based upon con-
jecture? Who can, after all, really prove that the
vessels are not built for the Emperor of China, the
Dahill° Prince of Satsuma, or bis Majesty the King
of Bantam P Perhaps we could throw a ray across
the mist if we chose and the proper moment had
arrived. Were we to do so we should show—
" That the vessels are not built for the Confede-
rates—either Government or people;
" That consequently Earl Russell the Rash has
stumbled upon ' a mare's nest' and put his foot
in it.'

" That the rams are bona fide French property;
" That they will have to be given up.

_ .
In these few sentences we have condensed all the
gist of the celebrated ram question. Upon the
accuracy of the view we take we place every re-
liance, and confidently await its corroboration by
events of the next few weeks, hoping meanwhile
that the negociations which are impending will not
leave the relations of two great countries at the
mercy of a peevish old gentleman at the Foreign-
office."

The Liverpool Mail reminds its readers, that no
law in existence prohibits or can prevent the
Messrs. Laird from building an empty hull for the
Confederates ; but that in this case the Government
positively knows, and already holds proofs, that
the rams were not " built," and are not " intended,',
for the Confederates at all.

The Southsea Pier Hotel Company (Limited)
have completed the purchase, and the building of the hotel
will be comm need forthwith. A few shares still remain,
which can be had on application at the company's office, 6,
John-street, Bedford-row, \V.C..

NEARLY THE DEATH OF HIM! ! !—When Lord
BROUGHAM Was installed as Chancellor in the Uni-
versity of Edinburgh, he was hospitably entertained by
Francis Brown Douglas, the present Lord Provost's prede-
cessor, and one of the leading fanatics of the city ; and I
have heard it hinted that the religious arrangements of this
house nearly upset Loh' Brougham's constitution; he had
to endure so much devotional exercise and exposition of
Scripture, which began at 7 a.m., and were continued at
intervals until 11 p.m.—the graces before meals being for
one thing exceedingly lengthy, and not very soothing to
the temper of a hungry man who had not heed brought up
rigidly as a Scottish Dissenter,—Correspondent of tele-
graph, •

ffurt .7‘v,
- 4

ICER MAJESTY.

WINDSOR CASTLE, Nov. 2,

The Queen, accompanied by their Royal High-
nesses Princess Luuise, Princess Beatrice, and
Prince William of Prussia, attended by Baroness
von Dobeneck, drove out this morning.
Major-General Hon. A. Hood attended on horse-
back.

Major-General Hon. A. Hood and Colonel H.
F. Yonsonby have succeeded Lord Charles Fitzroy
and Colonel Hon. A. Hardinge as Equerries in
Waiting to her M6jtsty.

The Prince and Princess of Wales.
SANDRI.!7GHAM, Nov. 2.

Their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess
of Wales, the Prince and Princess Christian of Den-
mark, and the Princess Dagmar, the Duke of St.
Albans, the Earl Granville, Admiral Seymour,
Lieutenant-General Knollys, Captain Grey, the
Hon. R. H. Meade, Major Teesdale, Captain
Castenchjold, Mr. Fisher, the Countess of Morton,
and the Countess Reventlow, attended Sandring-
ham Church yesterday, The Rev. G. B. Moron,
8.A., officiated, and the sermon was preached by
the Rev. Robert W. Pearse, M.A., the incumbent
of Gay wood.

The Crown Prince and Crown Princess of

Prussia,

Their Royal Highnesses the Crown Prince and
Crow❑ Princess of Prussia arrived at Inverary from
the north on Friday afternoon From the time the
honour of their visit was 'expected no Effort was
spared by the Duke and Duchess of Argyll to receive
the distinguished party with E. genuine Highland
welcome. Cannon were placed on a commanding
position on the hill of Dunaquoich, a large bonfire
was prepared on Strone, and the beautiful bridge
over the Aray, in front of the castle, illuminated
with coloured ligbts. At one time considerable
fear was entertained that the weather would by no
means prove propitious. Thursday was exceedingly
stormy, the barometer presenting the most remark-
able instance of gradual and extreme decline exhi-
bited during the year. Friday morning was dark
and lowering, with occasional heavy showers of
hail, but long before the hour of the expected arri-
val, the day, though at no time genial, became
fair, and on the whole was by no means unsuitable.
for displaying the autumnal beauties of Inverary:
Their royal highnesses on their way from Dalmally
were met by the Marquis of Lorne and Lord Walter
Campbell, and escorted through the ducal policies
to the castle. A little before five o'clock the ap-
pearance of the Prussian flag on the castle, end the
simultaneous discharge of the "Armada" gun on
the lawn, announced the arrival of the royal pair.
The Crown Prince and Crown Princess are ex-
pected to arrive at Windsor today.

Mr. Disraeli's Indisposition Contradicted.
We are gratified at being able to state, in reply
to numerous inquiries, that there is no foundation
for the reports that have appeared in the columns
of some of our contemporaries respecting the indis-
position of Mr. Disraeli. We are happy to say
that the right hon. gentleman was never in better
health.

We believe we may announce the interesting fact
that a marriage is in contemplation between his Royal
Highness Prince Alfred and a Princess of the House of
Oldenburg.

Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge
and her Royal Highness the Princess Mary, attended by
Colonel Purves, visited the Olympic Theatre last evening.
'['he Earl of Dudley has arrived at Dudley
House, Park-lane, from Witley Court, Worcestershire.
The Earl and Countess of Darnley have arrived
in Hill-street, Berkeley-square, from a tour of visits.
The Earl and Countess of Chesterfield leave town
to-morrow on a visit to the Earl and Countess of earner-
von at Highclere Castle, near Newbury.
Count and Countess 'de Fiahault and Hon. Miss
Elphinstone Flahault arrived at their mansion in Piccadilly
on Friday from their seat in Nairnshire, N.B.

The Countess of Jersey and Lady Caroline Vil-
liers are expected to arrivo at Wilton-place in a few days
from Paris.

The Countess (Dowager) of Tankerville is still
indisposed at her residence in Hertford-street, Mayfair.
Viscount Curzan has arrived in town from
Worthing.

Lord and Lady Willoughby de Eresby left their
residence on The Terrace, Piccadilly, yesterday, for Tor-
quay, where they purpose to pass the winter.

The Right Hon. Sir Robert Peel, Bart., M.P-•
arrived at his residence in Whitehall-gardens yesterday
from Ireland. Lady Emily Peel remains in Ireland.

The Hon. C. B. Percy and family have returned
;o Guy's Cliffe, after a tour in the northern counties.

Major-General and Mrs. Simmons Smith have
arrived at the Portland Hotel, Southsea, from London.
Sir Matthew Waite Ridley, Bart., M.P., arrived
in town on Friday from his seat in Northumberland.

LADIES, BEWARE !—Ati:Old, but highly destruc-

tive method of obtaining possession of ladies' purses
without inserting the hand into the pocket was put into
practice in Argyle-street, on Saturday evening. It consists
of pouring a small quantity of vitro! into the pocket, which
burns the lining, and the purse drops on the street, to be
picked up immediately by the hand of the operator. The
attempt made on Saturday evening was not quite successful,
as the purse did not fall out of the pocket, but the lady's
dress, petticoats, Sco., were considerably damaged.-1V or tli.
Brstish Mai?,

MISSING—THE TEMPLE BONES OF BEETHOVEN
AND A FEW HIES OF SCHUBERT !—On the 13th
inst. the disinterment of the earthly remains of Beethoven.
and Schubert took place in the Wahringer Churchyard at
Vienna, at the instigation of the direction of the Musical
Union. Many of tee notabilities of the town, and many
friends of art, were present on the occasion; among the
living relatives of Schubert, his brother Andreas, who holds
a Government situation in the Treasury, was noticed. The
mortal remains of Beethoven were found complete, all but
the two temple bones, which are supposed to have been lost
on the occasion of the section underatken by Dr. Wagner
on the 27th of March, 1827 (the day after Beethoven's
death), when the skull was sawn through and dissected into
several parzs. Schubert's skull was found quite complete,
with even the hair on his head. But some of the ribs and
several small parts of bone IA ere missing, and could not be
discovered. The remains of both great men were laid in.
metal coffins ; both coffins were then closed, sealed, and
conveyed into the chapel of the Friedhof, where they are to
remain until the completion of the vaults, when the solemn
transference is to take place.

THE LATE MR. EGG, R.A., AS AN AMATEUR.
ACTOR.—Amongst his other accomplishments Egg
was an admirable actor, and one of the most distinguished
of the amateurs who acted in aid of the funds for the alms-
houses for decayed players—first, in 1852, at the Hay-
market, in Bulwer's comedy of " Not so bad as we Seem,"
and , three
inwemayanticipate, in Wilkie Col-
din's " Fro years
different parts of the country.
lizeuDeep,"latf
" Job Want" was his character in this last. His " get up'''
in this was irresistibly funny. There would have been
something painful to his friends, who knew his own state,
in the truth with which he gave the asthmatic wheezing'
of the droll cook, had he not at the same time made
himself so thoroughly the character that the player
was forgotten. Of his life behind the scenes we
are unable to speak of our own knowledge; but
we aro happy in being allowed to give a valuable
letter from Mit. DICKENS, the leader of this party, written
in reply to a request for any information he might have on
this subject, which furnishes the best idea of tiro imprus-
sion he created upon his companions,
although it gives no
details of fact ;—I should have immediately complied with
your request, but for this sufficient reason, that I really
have nothing to tell which the public has any claim to
know. The dear fellow was always one of the most popular
of the party—always sweet-tempered, humorous, consci-
entous, thoroughly good, and thoroughly belovsti. I alvvayo
advised with bins about the composition of the figures and
the like; and his artistic feeling and patience were what
you know them to have been. There is not a single grain
of alloy, thank God, in remembrance of our intimate per-
sonal association. But I look back upon his way and words
in that gay gipsy life of our theatricals as sanctified by his
death, and not belonging to the public at all. In that
aspect of his life, as in every other, he was a thoroughly
staunch, reliable man. All else I regard as private cum-
panionship and confidence.
ONE WAY OF COUNTING.—It is estimated that the
mineral wealth of Nevada territory will be sufficient to paY
a national debt of 20,000,000,000 doll, to give every return-
ing soldier a musket of silver, and to furnish all our iron
chats with a plating of silver thicker than their present
covering of iron. At that rate bankruptcy does not seem to
be ieatuixtent.-IVete York :limes,