The Sun.
London, England, 1865-06-23 00:00:00

rHE SUN; LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, JUNE 23, 1565.

The Commons can scarcely tolerate such an unwar-
rantable interference on the part of the Govern-
ment in the Upper House, and it is simply absurd
to bring in an Act Amendment Bill, which is no
amendment at all, but retains the full faults of the
original scheme. We hope the hurry of the moment
and the press of electioneering cares will not pre-
vent some energetic M.P.'s from stopping this mis-
chievous innovation of Earl GRANVILLE'S.

The Funeral of the Czarewitch,
(From the Correspondent of the Times.)
BERLIN, June 17.
The obsequies of the Czarewitch terminated on
the 9th inst. in the Cathedral Church of St. Peter

and Paul, at St. Petersburg. This magnificent
church is situate within the walls of the metropoli-
tan citadel, and since its construction by Peter the
Great has been the burial-place of nearly all the

members of the imperial family. On this melancholy
occasion part of its lofty columns had been hung
with black, and a catafalque erected for the sarco-
phagus of the deceased Prince. With the stroke of
12, the celebration of the Panichides began in the

presence of the corps diplomatique, the dignitaries
of State, and deputations from the different troops,
authorities, and many of the civil corporations of

. -
the realm. After the lesson had been read, the Em

peror, attended by the Crown Prince of Denmark,
of Prussia, and the Princes of his house, entered

placing himself by the coffin side, and mo-
tioning the Bishops to proceed with the ceremony.
Then followed the singing of a psalm, and the bles-
sing of the corpse by the assembled Bishops. The
funeral rites over, the Emperor, with the Imperial

and foreign Princes, lifted up the coffin, and, pre-
ceded by a most reverend host, bore his son to the
vault of the Romanoffs. The batteries thundered

forth, and there was another grave added to the row

which begins with Peter the Great, the herculean
founder of a realm, and closes with Nicholas Alex-

androvitch, a beardless and prematurely departed
youth. Immediately after the short and impressive
ceremony the Emperor returned to Zarskoe Selo.
I subjoin the translation from the Servian of a
funeral sermon preached by the Most Rev. the
Archimandrite Nicophorus in the Court Church of
Cettinge, principality of Montenegro, on the occa-
sion of this sad event in the Imperial family. Both
from a moral and political point of view it will be
found to shed considerable light on one of the more
interesting races of the Balkan peninsula and their
peculiar way of regarding the things of this and the
other world. The sermon runs as follows

" But lately orthodox Russia was deprived of her mighty
Czar, Nicola'. Pavlovitch, whom death, inexorable death,
took away at a time when he was fighting for Christianity,
at first with Turkey and afterwards with nearly all Eu-
rope ; at a time when the Occident attacked the colossal
power of the Slavonic realm, when the enemies of the
Slavonic races confidently expected the decline and fall of
the Czar, and when many thought that his power and
greatness would be crippled for ever. But these expecta-

tions were not fulfilled. The Occident did not attain its
object. The gallant warriors of Russia, relying upon
God and their Slavonic right hands, withstood the invader
and offered him a truly heroic resistance. But lately,
I say, orthodox Russia was deprived of Nicolai I.
But death, insatiable death, was not satisfied with one
victim. Soon after our orthodox brethren of All the

Russias mourned the departure from this nether world of
Alexandra Feodorovna, his beloved Queen, and their re-
vered mother. With patience and manly endurance they
bore these heavy losses, and their souls were comforted by
the accession of his Majesty Alexander Nicolayevitchi a
Sovereign so richly endowed by Providence with all the
spiritual and intellectual gifts of man, that he excels even
his illustrious ancestors by the wisdom and grandeur of his
deeds. To-day 70 millions of faithful Russians are blessing
his name with feelings of heartfelt gratitude, and offering
up by day and by night, the most earnest prayers for his
health and happiness. The grand reform which he achieved
during a ten years' reign have gained him the respect of all
Europe. His works are truly great and remarkable. The
emancipation of 20,000,000 peasants alone would have
secured him the thanks of all free men on earth, and eternal
rewards in heaven. In Russian annals his name is inscribed
it? letters of gold. It will shine and radiate in its pages,
like a precious jewel adorning an Imperial crown. But not
Russia only, the world acknowledges him to be one of the
most illustrious and invaluable rulers of mankind in this
and any age. In a word, the name of Alexander and his
immortal achievements will shine in history, while there
is a sun in the firmament and a moon in the skies. But
fate bad willed it that this good King and father of the

Russian people should be afflicted by severe trials in the
midst of his beneficent labours. Hardly had the wounds
healed which his parent's death had inflicted on his filial
heart, when death, cruel death, opened them again. This
time it took away his noble son, the young Czarewitch and
Grand Duke Nicolai Alexandrovitch. Woe is me ! Woe
is me ! Death has taken away this excellent, this angelic
youth, in the prime of his age ! What a terrific loss for
their Majesties, his loving and exalted parents ! What
a loss for his brother, for his sister, for the whole Im-
perial family and his affianced bride ! What a sorrow
for orthodox Russia—a sorrow to last for ages. It is
a grief too great to be confined toßussia only. The hearts
of all orthodox people allied to Russia in faith and race are
smarting under this terrible blow; and of all Slavonians
we, the freemen of the Black Hills, are suffering most un-
der an infliction which, bereaving our Prince of a friend,
deprives us of a future protector and benefactor of our peo-
ple• and commonwealth. Hardly ever, my brethren, has
death proved so cruel a tyrant as on this occasion. Just
think how beautiful his life was; how richly blessed with
all the gifts of (fed ; how lofty his intellect, how pure his
morals; and your hearts will grieve, your eyes will weep,
that he, of all others, should have been taken away. Yes,
weep, weep, hitttr and heartfelt tears. But, brethren, the
will of the Lord must be done. The days of the Czare-
witch were numbered, and the word of doom went forth.
He died ; but his immortal soul ascended to heaven. God
loved him ; and because he loved him he summoned him
to exchange the earthly and temporal crown for the king-
dom of heaven. Brethren, this unfortunate event is another
proof that Death destroys whomsoever it pleases ; that it
makes no distinction between kings and elders, between
old and young, rich and poor, but carries off all alike and
consigns them to the gloomy grave. Death spares no one,
nor does it allow mortality to be a thing of this world. As
Holy Writ has it, our life is not of this world, b'it we shall
live in heaven. Our days are few and come to a speedy
end ; but even though we lived 100 years they would be as
nothing to the boundless expanse of eternity. We all know
that we are to die, but what is veiled from our ken is the
how and the when. Our Heavenly Father will not let us
into the secret. Some die young, some old ; some at day-
break and some at the decline of the day. As orthodox
Christians it therefore behoves us to prepare for death, and
be ready for instantaneous departure from earth to heaven.
There will be no time to repent and prepare forthe king-
dom of God when death is at hand. If we wish to attain
to salvation we must at once begin to love our neighbour
as ourselves, to revere God and attend Divine service, to do
what is right and just, to be good and kind, to live in the
fear of the Lord, and make His glory the only object of our
existence in the flesh. And now, orthodox brethren, let
us lift up our hands in prayer, and entreat the all-merciful
Creator of heaven and earth to grant to the Grand Duke
Nicolai Alexandrovitch the glorious joys of Paradise. His
memory will live for ever ! Amen."
The Emperor has charged the military governor
of St. Petersburg to express to the inhabitants his
thanks for the sympathy evinced on the interment
of his son. Numerous members of the highest
Polish nobility had repaired to St. Petersburg to
attend the burial, and conciliate the Court.
The ladies of St. Petersburg intend offering a
valuable cross to Princess Dagmar, the affianced
bride of the late Czarewitch. The cross is of lapsis
lazuli, with golden settings, and an exact copy of
the one which was shown to the Emperor Constan-
tine by a heavenly apparition, and subsequently
painted from his drawings on the walls of St.
Sophia's Church at Constantinople. Following the
example of their metropolitan sisters, the Moscow
ladies have also resolved to offer a token of their re-
spect and sympathy to the afflicted Princess. Their
gift consists of a magnificent copy of the Russian
Gospel, bound in violet velvet, and richly set with
golden ornaments and legends in the old Slavonic
tongue. On the front side of the cover appears a
little painting in the style of the Byzantine religious
school, representing the resurrection of Christ, with
the words underneath :
" Christ has risen from the dead, conquered death through
death, and brought new life to those that are in the grave."
On the other side a golden cross of old Russian
shape is surrounded by the words—
" Oh, death, where is thy sting ? Oh, grave, where is thy
victory ?"
The clasps bear the date April 12, 1865, being the
day on which the Grand Duke died.

EXTRAORDINARY LONGEVITY.—The obituary in
the Times of the 21st and 22d inst. contains some
rare illustrations of prolonged life, in the case of six ladies
and the same number of gentlemen, whose united ages
amounted to 1,044 years, giving an average of exactly 87
years to each ; the eldest lady having reached 94 and the
youngest 81 years of are, the eldest gentleman being 95
and the youngest 81 years of age.

LATEST INTELLIGENUI.

(REUTYR'S TELEGRAMS.)

AMERICA.

CROOKHAVEN, JUNE 23.
The steamship Helvetia, from New York on the
10th inst., passed the Fastnet this morning.
She brings 82 cabin and 115 steerage passengers,
and $155,000 in specie.

standing the clearness of his accent and the loud I
tone in which he spoke, the speech was very im-
perfectly heard to the close.
Commenting upon the above, La Grke says :
" The mournful impression produced upon thepublic
by the disgraceful scenes that have taken place is
not yet effaced, and more than one already despair
of a Chamber which has so ill inaugurated its
career. God grant that the sinister presentiments
of the public may not be realised, and that we may
not see the spectacle renewed which the last con-
stituent /Assembly so frequently offered us. If
violent men have again succeeded in getting the
people to entrust them with a mission imposing
upon them so many duties, we are happy to believe
that they are few in number, and that the con-
viction of their weakness will make them retreat
within the bounds they ought never to have passed."

CANADA.

MONTREAL, June 9.

The following is the farewell address presented to
Gen. Williams by the volunteer corps, together with
his reply :
" To his Excellency Lieutenant-General Sir W.
Fenwick Williams, of Kars, Bart., K.C.8., com-

manding her Majesty's forces in British North
America.

" Sir,—We, the undersigned, the Commandant,
Staff, and officers commanding corps of the Volun-
teer Militia of the City of Montreal, desire, on be-
half of that force, to express to your excellency the
deep regret they feel at your approaching departure,
and request most respectfully and cordially to wish
you farewell. During the years that your excellency
has commanded the forces in this portion of her
Majesty's dominions events have transpired on this
continent of no ordinary importance ; events, too,
that on more than one occasion have threatened to
interrupt our peaceful relations, and to bring about
the arbitrament of war with our powerful neighbours.
Since the period at which ybur excellency as-
sumed command in these provinces the volunteer
militia force of Canada, to which we belong,
and which is, in effect, the only organised por-
tion of our militia, has largely increased, both
in number and efficiency, and we are well
aware how much of this satisfactory result is due
to the countenance which your excel)ency has uni-
formly afforded to those who, under circumstances
of much difficulty and with but little encourage-
ment, have felt it their duty to use their humble
efforta in promoting the military training of the
loyal manhood of Canada. It is in vain for us to
attempt, within the limits of a simple address, to
express to your excellency all the thanks we owe
you for the assistance you have given to the volun-
teer militia during the time you have been amongst
us, or the real regret experienced at your departure.
We can but once again most respectfully bid you
farewell, and pray that you may be long spared to
the profession of which you are so bright an orna-
ment, and to the Queen and country of whom you
are so distinguished a servant. _ _ _

" Signed on behalf of the Volunteer Militia of the
City of Montreal, this 9th day of June, 1865."
General Sir F. Williams replied as follows :
"To Colonel Dyde, the Staff, and officers com-
manding Corps of the Volunteer Militia of the City
of Montreal,—l return you my hearty and sincere
thanks for the sentiments of esteem and regard
which you express towards me in this address, and
beg to assure you that your regrets at the present
moment of my departure from among you are
mutual. The last four years of my command
have indeed been eventful as regards the history
of this continent, yet peace has been preserved
between us and the United States ; and I firmly

believe that the good sense of both nations, guided
by wise Governments, will insure us a long con-
tinuance of this inestimable blessing. I especially
thank you for the mention you make of my friendly
assistance and encouragement of your zeal and un-
remitting efforts to increase the number and effi-
ciency of the volunteer force of Montreal; and no
military man or competent judge in private lifewho

has witnessed the results of these exertions can un

dervalue their extent and efficacy, and it reflects
the higher credit upon the commandant and his
officers when I adMit that all this has been effected
under circumstances of peculiar difficulty. In
taking leave of the volunteer force collectively, I
beg to express my sentiments of regard for their
commandant, who has so gallantly and successfully
struggled against all difficulties, and also for those
officers, non-commissioned officers, and privates, for
their discipline and subordination. I bid you adieu
with the hope of occasionally revisiting this great
city, and I have reason to hope that one of its first
improvements may be a drill-shed worthy of it, and
which will enable you to pursue your course of
military instruction with increased efficiency.
" (Signed) W. F. WILLIAMS, Lieut.-General.
" Montreal, June 9."

BANK OF FRANCE.

PARIS, JUNE 22.

Progress of the Thames Embankment from
Waterloo-bridge to the Temple.

This portion of that truly national work, the em-
bankment of the river Thames on the northern side,
is rapidly progressing, the following being a descrip-
tion of the works up to yesterday (Thursday). The
river wall, for a length of 250 ft., is now completed
to the level of the roadway, together with the low
level sewer and sub-way. In the Temple pier works
(500 ft. in length) the whole of the foundations are
built, and the lower courses of granite bedded to-
gether with the penstock chambers and flushing
culverts. The massive blocks of granite forming
the pedestals of the pier stand out with great bold-

ness, and this part of the works especially presents
a most imposing appearance. The dam, for a dis-
tance of about 1,000 ft., opposite Somerset House, is
now nearly completed ; and extensive preparations
are making for forming the foundations, prior to
erecting the river wall. The piling in the ends of
the cofferdams opposite Arundel-street and the
Temple Gardens are now being removed to allow
the low level sewer to be connected behind the
Temple landing stairs ; and it is expected that
within a fortnight the whole of the cofferdam, to the
extent of the " No. 2 Contract," will be completed,
thereby entirely excluding from the works the tidal
waters of the river for a distance of 1,900 ft. Up-
wards of 600 men are daily employed upon this por-
tion of the embankment.