The Sun.
London, England, 1863-12-23 00:00:00

WASHINGTON,

As DESCRIBED BY MR. G. A. SALA, THE " DAILY
TELEGRAPR'' CORRESPONDENT.
That it resembles in any way the metropolis of
a great, powerful, and wealthy commonwealth can
t once, without much fear of contradiction, be de-
nied. It contains, certainly, some noble public
building.,,, but they are scattered far and wide, with
all kinds of incongruous environments, producing
u_po n the stranger a perplexed impression that the
British Museum has suddenly migrated to the
centre of an exhausted brickfield, where rubbish
may be shot ; or that St. Paul's Cathedral, washed
quite white, and stuck upon stone stilts, has been
transformed to the centre of the great desert of
Sahara, and called a Capitol. There is a perpetual
solution of continuity at Washington. There is no
cohesion about Pennsylvania-avnue ; its houses
are as Hudibrasts story of the bear and the fiddle—
begun and broke off in the middle. It is an archi-
tectural conundrum which nobody can guess, and
in which I candidly believe there is no meaning.
The Nitruviuses and Palladios of America have per-
perpetrated a vast practical joke, and called it
IWashington. There is no beginning, no centre, and
no end to Washington. It is the most bogus of
towns—a shinplaster in bricks and mortar
and marble. The people seem to be very
fond of building houses ; but when they
have run up three or four storeys which
threaten to attain the altitude of the Tower
of Babel, the confusion of tongues sets in; the
builders abandon their work; but, nothing dis-
heartened, erect three or four storeys of fresh houses
elsewhere. It is said of those patrons of the drama
who habitually avail themselves of half price that
they have seen nothing but denouements. Wash-
ington, on the contrary, is a collection of first acts
without any catastrophes. It presents a converse
to Mercutio's description of his wound. Its avenues
are as deep as wells, and its blocks as wide as church
doors; but they do not serve any purpose that lam
aware of. Washington will be, When completed, the
most magnificent city on this side the Atlantic; but
it is not quite begun yet. We are still at the soup
and fish, and have not got to the first entree.
Never was there so interminable an overture.
"Two piastres more/ cries the Arab funambulist,
unworthily parodied by the London street mounte-
bank, "and the ass shall ascend the ladder." But
those piastres are never forthciming, and the donkey
never goes up. Only two hundred million dollars
more, and two hundred thousand inhabitants, or
thereabouts, and Washington would be able to rival
the Empire City and the Crescent City, and all the
other cities to which the Americans have given, to
use the diction of Mr. Artemus Ward, " magnolious
and spanglorious" appellatives. I4ndente lite,
Washington doesn't precisely languish, but it wal-
lows in the dust like an eel in a sand-basket, deli
cious when fried or stewed, bat slightly repulsive
to the sight before he is skinned and cooked. Wash-
; ington will be, I have no doubt, some day urroar-
ously splendid, but at present it isn't anything. It
• is in the District of Columbia and the State of the

Future.
And yet I must, for the sake of those who will
never probably visit this rambling mass of streets
without houses, and houses without streets, liken it
to something. Well, it is like a jumbled-up collec•
tion of children'., toy villages seen through the opera
glass of the King of Brobdignag, Again, it is not
unlike the Old Kent-road grown out of all patience.
Stay, it is like Brentford run mad, with a dash of
Highgate out of its wits, and a spice of Barnet at
the fair time—for ragged horseflesh is here abun-
dant—the whole mingled with Holborn-hill, and set
in the midst of Salisbury Plain. After this imagine
a tohobohu of Canterbury Halls and dancing saloons,
Government offices and old clothes' shops, Bath and
Cheltenham like private mansions and log cabins,
oysters, negroes, lagerbeer, mules, oxen, waggons,
dragoons, ladies in crinolines and loafers in " sit on
'em" hats, and the very faintest notion of Wash-
ington may begin to dawn upon you.

The Capture of the Chesapeake by the Con.

federates.

It has already been stated that the merchan
steamer Chesapeake had been seized by sixteen Con
federate passengers, while on the passage from New
York to Portland. The Confederates were headed
by a Southern officer, who had regular instructions
for carrying out the seizure. The Chesapeake was
taken to St. John's, New Brunswick. where her
captain and crew were landed. She then lett in
the charge of the Southerners, her supposed desti-
nation being Wilmington. The St. John's Evening
Globe, of the 10th instant, says The scheme
was matured here by Confederate agents. Meet-
ings were held, and the passage money of parties
to make the seizure was paid through to New
York. They were promised MO dole. each on the
steamer's being safely taken into Wilmington. It
was also arranged that at a certain store in New
York each of the parties were to call at different
times for a parcel containing a revolver, ammuni-
tion, and a pair of handcuffs. It is believed that
the cargo which was shipped by Confederate ag
was valuable to the South, and that it was arranged
that that she should be seized on this particutl:at
the
The manager of the plot represented.
Chesapeake had been taken while attemp...tTft
tt
the blockade, and this was a harmless
neames of five
back Southern property. 'We have oo run
They belong
of the parties engaged in the
eiitzhu 'Captain Braine.
to this city, and left here species of humanity
They are of the worstosepof
them was just out of
de-
nominated "roughs." °
all went from here by the
the penitentiary.
el here. She called off the hare-
The- on the 3d to Boston.
steamer New England
on board Captain. Parker, formerly
Chesapeake did n
of the order of the captain
allceotpriybution, who took command."
bofo utrh,ea and tookvate or
The following 's
of the Retribution o the L
d to capture
the Chesapeake. o teut. John s detached t capture
the CbessP' : 'To Lieut. John Clibbon Braine
toTo.ffice r
—You are hereby ordered to proceed to the city of
First Lieutenant H.
David Collins, Sailing
AN
.ewr
4Yror,rkseweiotnhdt hLieutenant
g
Master George Robinson, and crew of 11 men. You
will, on arrival, engage
passage on board the
steamer, and use sour discretion as to the proper
time and place to capture. Your action towards the
crew and passengers will be strictly in accordance
with the President's instructions. You will, es cir •
cumstances
permit, bring your prize to the
island of Grand Menan for further orders. Seal
Cove Harbour, if accessible.—(Signed) J. PARKE:e
,
Captain Privateer Retribution."—The Chesapeake
is said to be of the same size and nearly
thesme
faster.
model of the Sumter, but much strougeri nd
from New
Several steamers were a once despatchec.
York in search of " the pirate."

--------5--________ _
STEAMBOATS AND PRIZE FIGHTS.—At the last
weekly petty sessions held at Dartforr:, the super-
intendent of the Waterman's Steam Packet Comp;my
appeared for the directors, to answer a summons at the
instance of the Board of Trade, charging the defendants
conveying passengers in the Gannet steam.
with illegally
vessel To a point farther than that for which the vessel was
duly licensed. It appeared that on the 16th September the
Gannet embarked two pugilists, named Roberts and Morri-
son, with a number of their adherents, who landed at a
point below Gravesend, where a fight took place. The
Gannet is licensed to convey passengers from London to
Gravesend only. The bench inflicted a fine of 40s. and £5
costs.

SECOND EDITION.

SUN OFFICE, HALF-PAST 4 O'CLOCK.

THE POLISH INSURRECTION.

ST. PETERSBURG, Dec. 21.

The trial of Count Stanislaus Zamoyski is not
closed ; the statement of his condemnation to death
is altogether false.

LONDON GAZETTE---Last Evening,

WHITEHALL,DEC. 21,
The Queen has been pleased to constitute and appoint
the Rev. Arthur Penrhyn Stanley, D.D., to be Dean of the
Collegiate Church of Saint Peter, Westminster, void by the
resio-nation of the Very Rev. Richard Chenevix Trench,

The Queen has been pleased to present the Rev, Hugh
Fraser to the church and parish of Berriedale, in the pres-
bytery and county of Caithness, vacant by the transporta-
tion of the Rev. Hugh Fraser, to the church of '.'..lacduff, frl
the presbytery of Turriff.
CROWN-OFFICE, DEC, 19,
TheSeatofQueethen ha sbeenpleased by letters patent under the
Great United Kingdom, to constitute and ap-
point William Shee, one of her !Slajestv'f3 Sergeant's-at-
Law, to be one of the Justices assigned to hold Pleas before
the Queen herself,

WAR OFFICE, PALL MALL, DEC. 22,
Royal Regiment of Artillery—Lieutenant William ,Rico
Bowen has been permitted to resign his Commission.
Royal Engineers—Lieutenant-Colonel and Brevet-Colonel
Richard Clement Moody to be Colonel, vice Robinson,
deceased—Captain and Brevet-Major Henry Young Dar.
racott Scott to be Lieutenant-Colonel, vice Moody„
Second Captain Lionel Cnarles Barber to be Captain,
vice Scott—Lieutenant Reginald Gather Thorold to be

Second Captain, vice Barber.
Military Train—Captain Martin Samuel Sharpe, from the
4th Foot, to be Captain, vice Willans, who exchanges.
4th Regiment of Foot—Captain St. John Willians, from
the Military Train, to be Captain, vice Sharpe, who ex-
changes—Ensign Charles Frederick H, oper to be Lieu-
tenant, by purchase, vice Richard Boyce, who retires—
Thomas Edward Stoptord Hickman, Gent,, to be Ensign,
by purchase, vice Hooper.
6th Foot—George Malcolm Fox, Gent., to be Ensign,ley
purchase, vice al‘Vicar, transferred to 93d Foot.
12th Foot—Ensign Henry Duppa Alfred Cutbill to be
Lieutenant, by purchase, vice Edward James Dudgeon,
m ho retires—Henry Stewart Bolton, Gent., to be Ensign,
by purchase, vice Cutbill—Harry Jermyn Cooper, Gent.,
to be Ensign, without purchase, vice David Papillon,
transferred to the 92d Foot—Staff Assistant-Surgeon
Thomas Walsh to be Assistant-Surgeon, vice Arthur
Henry Francis Lynch, appointed to the Staff.
16th Foot—Captain Allred William Adcock, from 24th
Foot, to be Captain vice Gibson, who exchanges.
17th Foot--Ensign Harvey Lambert Manning Ravenhill
Gent,Woods,
t. whob
ere
Ensign,ti retires—Laurence Ly aurence
purchase, Jamesvice
to Lieutenant, by purchase, vice William Frederick
11.1.Dakin,
G
84th Foot, to be Lieutenant, vice Samuel 19th Tvaileminiauhmeilll,HGaosrsdeoyi
Foot—Lieutenant Andrew Stewart, from half-pa
vice Adcockeowr
who retires upon temporary half pay.
exchanges.
21th Foot— Foot—George Gibson, from 16th Foot, to be Captain,
25th Foot—Lieutenant George Augustus Elliott to be
Captain, by purchase,
to be Lieutenant, 1131ysign
who retiree vice Peter Charles Gillies Web-
ster,Ntinajor and Brevet
Lieutenant-Colonel,
Frederic
Charles Francis Barnardiston
purchase, vice Elliott—Thomas
Stanhope Gildea, Gene, to be Ensign, by purchase, vice
C. 8., to be
shneou:orrvtd—NiicVliktsirsi,llia
in
James
Lofiteuu,tenant- Colon el,
Matsjorsre, Page Vance to
Horatiov.tao retires u
3813ActphhaaryaFrt_captain and 13revet-
Lieutenant-Colonel
p obny
half
-..
'olkaStansfeld to be
Richardson
be Major, by purchase, vice
boye
ia Vancet., —t be
Willis—Lieutenant Robert Johnston
purchase,
Captain, by purchase, vice Brevet.
sign George John Skinner to be Lieutenant,
vice Stansfeld—John Dalton Chase Sorrell',
Ensign, by purchase, vice Skinner. nbe-
45th Foot—Ensign Henry John de Berniere smart, from
the 58th
who has
troetbireed. Ensign, vice Ralph
Handy, w
58th Foot—Robert Gordon Home, Gent., to be Eneig., by
purchase, vice Smart, transferred to the 45th Foot. '
61st Foot—Lieutenant Edward Waugh Rumsey to be
Adjutant, vice Lieutenant Charles Henry Boileau, who
resigns that appointment.
64th Foot—Lieutenant Andrew Stewart, from 19th Foot,
to be Lieutenant, lice Louis D'Acosta, promoted to an,
Unattached Company, without purchase.
66th Foot—Ensign Stephen Dixon Power to be Lieutenant,
by purchase, vice William Henry John Westby, who
retires—Ensign Benjamin John Huinfrey, from 87th
Foot, to be Ensign, vice Power.
87th Foot—William 'Western Taylor, Gent., to be Ensign,
by purchase, vice Benjamin George Hatutrey, transferred
to the 66th Foot.
90th Foot—Lieutenant George Robert Mille, to be Cap-
tain, without purchase, vice Percy Julius Deveriile, de-
ceased—Edward Richard Albert Nolan to be Lieutenant,
without purchase, vice Miller.
934 Foot—Lieutenant Edward Septimus Wood to be Cap-
tain, by purchase, vice George Roe Fenwick, who re-
tires—Ensign Frederick William Welch to be Lieuten-
ant by purchase, vice Edward Septimus Wood—Ensign
John Archibeld M'Vicar, from the 6th Foot, to be
Ensign, vice Welch.
4th West India Regiment—Charles Ramsey Gibb,Gent, to
be Ensign, by purchase, vice John Shell, whose appoint-
ment has been cancelled.
MEDICAL DEPARTMENT—Assistant-Surgeon Arthur
Henry Francis Lynch, from the 12th Foot, to be Staff
assistant-Surgeon, vice Thomas "Walsh, appointed to the
2th Foot.