The Sun.
London, England, 1865-02-20 00:00:00

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Their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess
of Wales will honour the Earl and Countess of Fife with
their presence on Thursday, the 2d of next month, at a
small dance, to take place at, their residence in Grosvenor-
place.
The Duke and Duchess of Cleveland have
arrived at their residence in Grosvenor-place, from their
seat, Battle Abbey, Sussex.
The Marquis and Marchioness of Clanricarde
arrived in Stratton-street on Thursday evening, from Hor-
tumna Castle, county Galway. We are sorry to learn his
lordship is suffering from indisposition.
The Earl and Countess of Tankerville are ex-
pected in town in a few days from Heron Court, Christ-
church, where they have been staying on a visit to the
Earl and Countess of Malmesbury.

Viscount Melville will leave town to-day for
Melville Castle, N.B.
Lord and Lady Proby have arrived in town from
their seat, Eton Hall, Oundle, for the season.
Lord and Lady Abercromby hare arrived at
Thomas's Hotel, for the season, from Scotland.
. .

Sir John and Lady Johnstone have arrived at
their residence in Belgrave-square, from their seat, Hack-
ness Hall, near Scarborough. _ _ .

Lord and Lady Charles Bruce have left town
on a visit to the Marquis and Marchioness of Ailesbury, at
Savernake Forest, Wilts.

Lady Margaret Reaumont has issued cards for
assemblies on Tuesdays, the 7th, 14th, and 21st of next
month, at the family mansion in Piccadilly.

The Right Hon. B. Disraeli gave a parliamentary
dinner on Saturday evening, at his residence, Grosvenor-
gate. There were present the Marquis of Salisbury, the
Earl Stanhope, the Earl of Orford, Viscount Courtenay,
Hon. George Boyle, Hon. Alexander Baring, Sir Brook
Bridges, Sir Thomas Bateson, Sir Henry Stracey, Colonel
Edwards, Mr. Surtees, Mr. Davenport Bromley, Mr.
Treherne, Mr. Cobbold, Mr. Bond, Mr. Paull, and Mr.
Brookes.

General M'Clellan is expected to arrive in Rome
in a few days. The general has been invited by
the celebrated American sculptor, Mr. Story, to spend some
time at his residence in the Barberini palace. Mrs. Story
to a oonnootion of the general, her sister having married
Dr. WClellan, of Philadelphia.

DRAMATIC, EQUESTRIAN, AND MUSICAL SICK
FUND ASSOCIATION.—The ninth annual festival, on
March 1, we premise, will be ono of more than usual in-
terest, from the fact that that popular and rising member of
the House of Commons, John Francis Maguire, Esq., M.P.,
will take the chair, and wo are sure from the unusual
esteem in which he is held publicly and privately will
draw a large assemblage round him. Tho event itself is
one of tho most agreeable and charming of the season.

GALLANT LIFEBOAT SERVICE.—BLAKENEY, NOR-
FOLK, Feb. 18.—I have to report (says the Rev.
R. H. Tillard, M.A.) that the Blakeney lifeboat of the
National Institution went out on Friday to take off the
crew of a barque wrecked about six o'clock that morning
to the eastward of the harbour. The boat was rowed up
Cley Channel and then hauled over the beach on her roller
skidds, and again launched within a very short distance of
the wreck. The barque's crew could not have got off in
their own boat, though the distance was so short, owing
to the position of the ship and the heavy sea running.
They were therefore taken, 13 in number, into the life-
boat and safely brought on shore. The barque's name is
the Amana, of Sunderland, bound from the Tyne to
Savona with coals and cinders. She broke up in the course
of the morning, and has now just disappeared. The main-
mast went by the board just after the crew were taken off
by the lifeboat.
CHARLES DICKENS'S PEOPLE'S EDITION. —ln
about three weeks, says the London Review, we may expect
to see the shop windows occupied by the cheap edition of
Mr. Dickens's works, great preparations for which are now
being made at the publishers'. The cheap edition will
consist of a new impression of the ss. double column edi-
tion, adorned with frontispieces, and in appropriate covers
—the price to be only 25., and each novel perfect in one
volume. It is expected that the sale of the People's Edition
will be enormous.

GOOD LIVING AT PARIS.—Very curious statistics
are published in the French papers, by which it seems that
Paris dines at the rate of two millions of francs per day
(X 50,000), including 80,000 f. (X 3,200) for brandy and
liqueurs taken at dessert, and B,ooof. (X 320) for toothpicks.
This would bring the dinner of each inhabitant of Paris
to if. 25c. (Is.) per day.

A MURDERER'S CONFESSION.—A man, named
Jas. Stewart, was recently executed for murder at
Bathurst, in Australia. Before being led out upon the scaf-
fold he wrote the following confession:—" I, James Stewart,
who am to suffer the extreme penalty of the law on to-mor-
row, make the following true statement :—I am the man
who escaped from the Bernallawatchhouse, in the colonypf
Victoria on Jan. 21, 1862, and the money then and there
taken from me belongs to Valere, the storekeeper, of Violet
Town. lam also the man who stole two horses from Mr.
Dunn, livery-stable keeper, Geelong, in the aforesaid colony
of Victoria, about 10 years ago. And also, about the same
time, I robbed Dr. Leck, of Portland Bay, in Victoria ; and
also the same who robbed Mr. Thompson, of Wardiallock,
Victoria; and Mr. Henty, of Portland, a little after, of
horses. lam also the same man who stuck up Mr. Watts,
of Fort Fairy, Victoria, and who stole Mr. M‘Law's horses
from the same place. I made my escape from Big Dick, the
policeman, at Horsham, Victoria ; and I it was who robbed
a man of £4O, at Kennedy's publichouse, Hopkins river,
Victoria. It was I, too, who took one horse, saddle, and
bridle from Mr. Bostbck, of Elephant-bridge, Victoria ; and
it was I who committed the robbery between Four Posts
and Horsham. I also robbed Mr. Meredith, of Mount
Gambier, Victoria, of a horse, bridle, and saddle, and fire-
arms. I also stole a horse, bridle, and saddle from Brown,
Mount Napier, Victoria. I also broke into Mr. Valero's
store, Violet Town—the same whom I robbed of the money
—and stole' a revolver, which I left at the Junction public--
house, at Ballarat. 1 stole a horse from Mr. Osborne, of
Bendigo, Victoria. I robbed Mr. F. Hunter, of Mount
Gambier. I robbed Mr. Bowman, of Wakefield, South
Australia ; and Mr. Collier, of.the Murray river, Victoria ;
and it was I who stole a horse from the chief constable of
Fort Fairy, Victoria. I committed a forgery of £lO on Mr.
Ware, of Spring Creek, Victoria. These are some of the
numerous robberies I have committed, and which I now
deeply lament. I, James Stewart, also humbly and most
sorrowfully confess that I am the murderer of Charles
Verdhun, and for which awful crime I now most peni-
tently pray the Almighty to have mercy on my soul: and
I do sincerely hope my awful punishment may prove a
warning to all."

HIGGINS WAS TABOOED.—HOW ABOUT BETHELL?
—From the Parliamentary proceedings at the close
of last week we observe that, at the meeting of the House
of Lords on Friday last, immediately upon the Lord Chan-
cellor taking his seat on the woolsack, he (the Lord Chan-
cellor) informed their lordships that, in conformity with
the power conferred upon him by the statute he had ap-
pointed the Hon. Slingsby Bethell to the vacant office of
Reading Clerk and Clerk of Committees of their lordships'
House, and he begged to move that the appointment bo
confirmed, which it was—immediately. But still—for all
that Higgins having been tabooed—How about
Bothell ?