The Sun.
London, England, 1865-05-23 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, MAY 23, 186 k

INLAND REVENUE ACTS.

Tho CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER in com-
mittee moved a resolution relative to the stamp duty on
mortgages, the practical effect of which would be to im-
pose an equal for an unequal charge, and afford relief in
all mortgages below £7,000.
The resolution was agreed to.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER then moved
the second resolution, the object of which was simply to
bring under the law loans or shares raised in this country
for foreign Governments as well as those raised at home,
and that for every such transaction there should be a penny
stamp.

The resolution was agreed to.
The third resolution, having reference to stamps on
marine insurance was agreed to.
A fourth resolution, to stimulato the duty on miscel-
laneous insurance, such as that on plate glass, cattle, &c.,
to the duty levied on the railway accidents insurance of 5
per cent., was also agreed to ; as was the formal resolution
to bring in a bill to carry the previous resolutions into
effect.

The house then resumed.
SUPPLY.

Th. report of supply was brought up and agreed to.
GENERAL POST OFFICE (ADDITIONAL SITE)
(RE-COMMITTED) BILL.

This bill passed through committee.
The Churches and Chapels Exemption (Scotland) Bill,
as amended, passed through committee.
The Dogs Regulation (Ireland) Bill was passed through
committee, as also the Ecclesiastical Leasing Act (1858)
Amendment Bill.

The Public-house Closing Act (1864) Amendment Bill
was further amended and agreed to.

.The house adjourned at 20 minutes to two o'clock.

The Irish International Exhibition,

(From the Times Correspondent)

One of the main sources of attraction in the Ex-
hibition—the greatest of all, perhaps, to many—is
the Indian Court. In examining its gorgeous trea-
sures the visitor has the advantage of the cour-
teous attentions of Captain Meadows Taylor, who
resided for a long time in India, and hail written
several works illustrating its social life and manners.
He seems quite at home on all subjects connected with
the country, its religion, philosophy, customs, manu-
factures, and arts, and feels as lively an interest in all
that concerns its fame as if he were an Indian prince.
Many of the art treasures -which he takes a plea-
sure in describing are not new to those who visited
the Exhibition of 1862. They will remember nume-
rous specimens of the gorgeous manufactures of a
country which was celebrated for the marvellous
perfection of its arts thousands of years ago, and
supplied imperial Rome in the era of its greatest
splendour with its richest dresses and its costliest
ornaments. The gold and silver brocades of Delhi
and the muslins of Dacca were so famous in ancient
times that we might suppose their merits had been
exaggerated if we did not behold in this Exhibition
textile fabrics of inimitable fineness, tapesty glitter-
ing with purest gems, the richest and most elabo-
rate embroideries, silver filagree work of exquisite
delicacy, enamel of the most brilliant hues, inlaid
wares, the Minute beauties of which can only be
revealed by the microscope, cups and goblets ele-
gant and chaste in their design, furniture most ela-
borately carved ; carpets that are works of arts,
astonishing by the exquisite harmony of their
colours and their artistic finish ; swords and other
weapons of the finest temper, superb in their jewelled
ornamentation. As we ascend to the gallery where
the Indian articles are exhibited, the attention is
arrested by the large crimson carpet of Tippoo Sahib,
and other valuable carpets and matting suspended
along the walls. One of them is a carpet of very
fine quality, 18ft. by 15ft., manufactured by the
prisoners in the central prison, Lahore, and for-
warded for exhibition by Dr. R. Gray, superinten-
dent, with a hearthrug, by the same artisans.
Enormous umbrellas of several domes, in blue and
gold and crimson and gold, with rich fringe, are
conspicuous articles in the collection. There are
fans of gigantic proportions,with ornamented stems,
Bft. long, and otherwise a large as an umbrella. In
the several cabinets shere are collection of silk
shawls and muslin, so. rich in material, so elabo-
rately and beautifully embroidered with the hand,
and others woven with so fine a texture and with
such artistic mixture of colours, that it would be
vain to attempt to describe them. There is a
square gold-worked shawl from Delhi, exhi-
bited by Messrs. Everington and Graham, and
another from the same place exhibited by Messrs.
Fanner and Rogers, Regent-street, London. Capt.
Meadows Taylor himself exhibits some very curious
articles. There is a profusion of specimens of gold
embroidery, all finished with wonderful delicacy.
One of the most striking things in the collection is
the model in marble and mosaics of the sarcophagus
of Mahal, wife of the Emperor of Delhi, Shah Jehan,
from the orignal in the Taj Mahal, Agra, exhibited
by Lord Gough. We have next a State palanquin,
with carpets, cushions, canopy, and all other fittings
of the most gorgeous description, with a number of
other rare and valuable articles, exhibited by the
Secretary of State for India, among which is the
gold State chair of Runjeet Singh.
For thevaried and interesting collection of colonial
products shown in the northern and western gal-
leries, the Commissioners are chiefly indebted to the
labours of Mr. P. L. Simmonds, who had charge of
the colonial department in the Exhibition of 1862.
Upwards of 20 colonies are more or less extensively
represented—viz., Canada, Nova Scotia, and Van-
couver, of the North American ; the Bahamas, Do-
minica, Jamaica, and Trinidad, of the West Indian
group ; Ceylon, Mauritius, and Malta of the Eastern;
all the five Australian colonies ; Natal; St. Helena,
Sierra Leone, the Gold Coast, and Lagos, of the
African group ; and the Falkland Islands.
Taking them in the order in which they are placed
in the gallery, we find first a most attractive display
from Natal round the head of the stairs, where, be-
sides flax, grain, tobacco, cigars, sugar, coffee, and
other articles for which we had not given the colony
credit, there is a noble trophy of horns, skins,
tusks, and.other products of the chase, and a curious
collection of native weapons, paddles, musical in-
struments, State sticks, and other insignia of office
of native tribes. Many of these are curious illus-
trations of native arts and manufacture by tribes in
Central Africa never before visited, obtained by
Mr. S. Baker Barry, who has recently traversed the
country from Walvisch Bay to Natal, and has just
been awarded the Geographical Society's gold medal
for his explorations.

Canada follows next in order, and occupies three
Courts with an extensive display of her produce and
manufactures. Foremost among these come mine-
rals, cubes of marble, grain, wood, edge tools, and
manufactures of various kinds. There is a large
library of locally published works, educational and
others, in rich bindings, photographs of local scenery,
and two large and creditable oil paintings by R.
Duncannon, of Montreal,—,‘ The Chaudiere Falls,"
and " The Lotus Eaters." Skates, snow-shoes,
sleighs, sleigh robes, capotes, and other fancy fur
coats and wrappers speak of the enjoyments of the
winter.

Nova Scotia, although but recently recognised as
a productive goldfield, shows a small pyramid repre-
senting the gold obtained in the colony since 1862
40,000 oz., chiefly derived from quartz crushing—
with an ingot of pure gold, taken from the Waverley
Gold Mine, weighing 471 b. This amount of gold was
obtained by 130 men in 15 days. There is a similar
column of coal to that shown in 1862, erected in the
gardens, illustrative of the depth of the seam of the
Pictou coalfield. There is a fine collection of raw
and prepared furs and manufactured articles, among
which is a splendid black fox-skin. Dr. Honeyman
shows 3 large geological collection, and there is also
a series of minerals of scientific and economic value
by Dr. How. _ _

Mauritius next puts in a creditable appearance
with samples of her finely prepared:sugars, pickles,
jellies, preserves, liqueurs, and spices, especially
the fragrant vanilla, in which the colony suc-
cessfully competes with Bourbon. The director of
the Botanic Gardens shows a good collection of
fibres. The adjoining
West Indian Courts call for
little notice, except that there are some fine speci-
mens of woods, and a beautifully prepared series of
the fibres of Jamaica, indigenous or cultivated,
showing their suitability to take various dyes pre-
pared by Mr. N. Wilson, of the Botanic Gardens,
Jamaica. Some inlaid tables from Jamaica and
Ceylon are also worth special notice.
The Falkland Islands Company make a small
display for the colony with which they are indenti-