The Sun.
London, England, 1862-12-31 00:00:00

REVOLUTION IN JAPAN.

We have just received a supplement to the
Japan Herald. of the 22d October, published at
Yokohama. The news is one day later than the
letter which appeared in our impression of Monday
last. It says:—
" Intelligence of a very important character has just
come to our hands. Daring the past week Japan has under-
gone a revolution. Quietly, without any demonstration,
the whole constitution has been changed. The laws enacted
by Iyeyas in 1599-1600 have been abrogated. The power and
influence of the Tycoon and Eastern Court, so to speak,
have been curtailed. Jeddo has the prospect in no long time
of being reduced to a second-rate town ; possibly even the
Tycoon may have been requested to retire to make way for
another ; and this has been accomplished without the firing
of a shot or the issuing of a proclamation. The whole em-
pire, except probably the Emperor's Court at Miako, is in
ignorance of the change—a change of importance not only
to the empire but to the Powers which have relations with
it. For some time past everything within the political
horizon has been denoting this cbange; as we stated a few
weeks ago, the political influence and interests were desert-
ing Jeddo, and clustering round Miako. We had not anti-
cipated that so important a change, so complete a bouTeverse-
meat, was to occur within so short a time.

"REPORTED ASSASSINATION OF THE REGENT
" S;nce the above was in type we have heard a report
from Jeddo, to the effect that the present Regent, formerly
Matzdaira Etzizen no-Kami, now known as Sosayee,' or
' Sodangaite,' has been assassinated by his head retainer or
Karowo ; and that the assassin immediately after the com-
mittal of the deed performed the Harikiri. We do not vouch
for the accuracy of the statement, and shall probably not
learn the truth for some days, even if the report turn out to
be correct."

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.

RACING FIXTURES FOR 1863.

FEBRUARY.

Lincoln 25

MARCH.

Nottingham Spring 3 I Doncaster Spring l7
Derby Spring
Liverpool Spring lO Northampton .. 24
Shrewsbury l2 Croxton Park 27

APRIL.

Newmarket Craven.. 6
Durham . 6
Catterick Bridge. 8
Thirsk l4

M
Chester 5
Bath
Marlborough l4

Ascot 2
Newton 10
Hampton lO
Odiham 16
Bibury Club l7

Worcester
Newmarket July .. 7
Abingdon 14
Hungerford l6

Brightcn
Brighton Club
Lewes
Reading l2

Epsom Spring 16
Newmarket F. S 20
York Spring 28
Salisbury

Harpenden l5
Epsom
M anchester

Stockbridge lB
Chelmsford 23
Newcastle 23
Carlisle

Nottingham 21
Winchester 2l
Gocdwood 28

Derby Summer
Lichfield
Leicester lO
Doncaster 15

Newmarket S. 0 ..12 1
Lincoln Autumn 21
NOVE:

Worcester 3

York August lB
Devon and Exeter l9
Egham 25

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE—This Day.

(BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.)
ARRIVALS AT MANCHESTER.

Everlasting, Mary Stuart, The Poney, lye Maley,
Alehymist, Phoebus, The Miller, Cygnet, Mylton, The
Flat, Leopold, Weasel, Rossmore, Lorette, and Sha--van-
Voeht.

AN EXECUTION IN MALTA.

MALTA, DEC. 24.

As in most Roman Catholic countries, there exists in
Malta a confraternity styled "La Congregazione dei Rosa-
rianti," who in the case of a criminal having to undergo
the punishment of death take a very prominent part in
everything connected with the sentence. For several days
prevOus to an execution the members of thi4 society,
arrayed in a white dress from their head to their heels,
with two small holes for the eyes, visit the different towns
and villages collecting funds, which are handed over to the
priests to say masses for the soul 15f the criminal, and for
his release from purgatory. About 40 hours before an exe-
cution the condemned is placed in a chapel expressly built
for the purpose, with two Capuchin priests, who never
quit him till the execution is over; and the latter shows
extraordinary zeal in bringing criminals to repentance, and
preparing them for their future state. To the credit of the
Roman Catholic clergy, no person, it is said, has been exe-
cuted without having previously confessed. Previous to the
criminal quitting the chapel the hangman declares that he
has no bad feeling towards him, and that he merely obeys
orders. He then kisses him. On the road to the gallows
the Capuchin priests hold tablets on each side of the pri-
soner's face. On these tablets are images of our Saviour.
Criminals are hung upon a gallows, and the hangman
jumps on the shoulders of the criminal till he is dead. Six
convicts drag the car, and it is understood they gene-
rally get six months remitted from their sentence for so
doing.
From the time the criminal leaves the chapel the confra-
ternity in a manner take charge of him. They form a
procession in front, with a cross lighted on each side, and
it is their especial duty to see the ceremony carried out
with decorum, to render it solemn and impressive, so that
it may have a peneficial effect on the spectators; and in
this they succeed, for the crowd at an execution in Malta
is serious and reflecting, and impressed with a religious feel-
ing of sorrow.

During the execution the confraternity pray in a devout
posture. The body hangs two hours, after which the senior
member of the confraternity claims as his especial right the
privilege of untieing the rope from the corpse. The mem-
bers receive the body, and carry it to the place of inter-
ment, where it is buried in a sack. All this is done by tho
confraternity themselves, without any other assistance, and
though the duties are so disagreeable, it is considered a
very high honour even by the highest classes to belong to
the order.

The hangman's situation is anything but coveted. He
receives about £4O per annum, and a trifling gratuity for
every execution.
In July last a maid servant, Catarina Bary, was found
murdered, and the house, which was next door to the
officers' quarters, robbed. 'I he police have shown great
judgment and sagacity in discovering the murderers and
burglars, and last week Giuseppe Attord, coachman, and
Giuseppe Chetcute, fruit seller, were tried and condemned,
principally on the evidence of a confederate who turned
Queen's evidence. The police feretted out some 80 wit•
rn saes in support of the charge, the jury unanimously found
them guilty, and on the morning of the 22d, at 8 a.m., the
sentence was carried into execution, and the two prisoners
were hanged from one gallows at the same time. They
entered the chapel on Saturday at 3 p.m., from which hour
they may be said to have been dead to the world , The
honour, for such it is considered, of untieing thPlo from the
gallows fell to the lot of two of the confraternity, one of
whom is said to bo Count Prezioso. Tbl-., members had been
actively collecting funds for some days previous, and re-
turned to town shortly after twelve o'clock of the day of
the execution, after their arduous, unpleasant, and fatiguing
duty.

A RECEPTACLE FOR CONTICTS.—The latea sug-
gestio❑ is to prepare the Falkland Islands as a re-
ceptacle for our convicts. They are 7,000 miles away, but
the voyage is easy and healthy. Peat abounds though
wood is wholly absent. Directly westward is the promis-
ing eastern coast of Tierra del Fuego (with good harbours),
in which guanacoes attain their largest size, where wood
is plentiful, and where mineral treasures are likely to be

found. There a settlement might be formed to receive
such convicted persons as are now sent into overcrowded
countries, as the only resource, however objectionable.
Westward of the large east trn island of Tierra del Fuego
there is an abundance of valuable minerals easy of access,

and, while the climate is not enervating, or tending to en-
courage idleness, it is not too severe, like Labrador.
EXTRAORDINARY MARRIAGE ADVENTURE.--The

Liverpool press yesterday gave publicity to one of
the strangest love adventures which have been recorded by
the newspapers for some time. It appears that a man

whose name it is unnecessary to mention, but who has for
some time past resided in Manchester, gained the affections

of a woman whose name does not appear, and proposed
matrimony to her. The man was worth a considerable sum
of money, and suggested to the object of his affections that
after marriage they should enter into business. The
woman of course readily fell in with his views, and kept a
sharp look-out for some eligible business in which to en-
gage. One offered in Liverpool, and thither our hero be-

took himself with his lady, in order that they might buy
a " soft goods business" which was advertised. Matters

having gone so far, the pair deemed that the sanctity of
their loves rendered the marriage ceremony a mere conven-
tional form, and accordingly occupied a sleeping apartment
in Bulton-street. Each night the man placed his pocket-
book, containing £5OO in notes, under the mattress of his
bed, his companion the while watching him with much in-
terest. On Friday he went with the woman to procure a
marriage license, and was about to open his pocket hook to
take out a note to pay for the document, when his future
wife prevented him, and paid the amount herself. It was
arranged that they should be married on Monday, and on
Saturday they returned to Manchester and went to their
respective homes. It appears ho had not examined his
notes since Friday, and when opening his pocket book in
the evening he found that £440 had been abstracted and
flimsy paper substituted to make up the bulk. He at once
proceeded to the Manchester police-station, and having
procured the services of a detective officer, the woman was
taken into custody and conveyed to Liverpool. "Upon
their arrival there, he proposed that if the officer would
give up his prisoner he would make her his wife. The
detective at once consented, and the woman having been
set free, the pair proceeded to the Old Church, where
they were married, and satisfactorily settled the monetary
difficulty.

POPE Pius IX, AND THE CATHOLICS OF CHICAGO.
—Bishop Duggan, of Chicago, has received an auto-
graph letter from Pope Pius IX., of which the following is
a translation, acknowledging the receipt of addresses of con-
dolence which had been sent him, as follows :—" Venerable
Brother—Health and Apostolical Benediction : We received
with joy the letters sent us by the clergy and faithful
people of your diocese, in which the said clergy and people
profess that they regard us and the See of Peter with faith,
devotion, and reverence, and that they deeply lament the
heavy afflictions brought upon us by the wicked designs
and machinations of those men who wage an unholy
war against the catholic ohuroh, the apostolic see, and our-
selves. Therefore, we charge you to convey to your clergy
and people that these generous sentiments and feelings, in
every respect worthy of the children of the catholic
church, have afforded us no slight consolation in the
great trials which press upon us. And we are convinced,
venerable brother, that you, together with your clergy
and people, will never cease to implore and beseech
by the most fervent prayers, God, who is rich in mercy,
that He would rescue His holy church from such calami-
ties ; that He would adorn and increase her from the rising
of the sun to the going down thereof with new and more
splendid triumphs ; that He would comfort us in all our
trials ; that He would humble all the enemies of the church
and of this apostolic see, and bring them back from the way
of iniquity to the paths of justice and of salvation. As to
yourself, be assured we bear towards you a particular affec-
tion, of which we desire the apostolic benediction, which,
in the effusion of our heart, venerahle brother, we most
lovingly impart to yourself and to the flock committed to
your care, to be the most certain pledge. Given at St.
Peter's, Rome, on the 7th of July, 1862, and in the 17th
year of our pontificate.—Plus, 13,13,, IX."—Missouri De-
mocrat, Dec. 9.
COMMERCIAL TRAVELLERS' SCHOOLS.—The half-
yearly meeting and election of this institution was
held yesterday at the London Tavern, Mr. Wilcoxon in the
chair. There were 14 children to be elected-7 boys and 7
girls. Mr, Foster, the secretary, read the report, of which
the following is an abstract :—it congratulates the friends
of the institution on the steady increase in the different
branches of income ; the renewed subscriptions for the past
year showed an increase over the previous year of £126, as
well of a proportionate improvement in donations and new
subscriptions. The health of the children was generally
at the present time, satisfactory, although in November
last there had been some cases of malignant sore throat,
and one boy had died from diphtheria within four weeks
after his admission by purchase. The financial statement
showed the gross receipts for the past half-year ending
September 30, were £3,157 4s. 11d.; and the expenditure,
£3,085 14s. 4d, ; leaving a balance in favour of £7l 108.
' 7d. The amout of stock at present invested is £14,300.
Value of the live and dead stock at farms, £452 10s. Lia-
bilities on bills owing, £459 4s. 2d. The report having
beep received and adopted, some alterations were made
in the rule respecting the voting at elections, and the board
of management and other officers for the ensuing year were
appointed. Scrutineers were then selected and ftb.e elec-
tion proceeded with. There were 26 candidates.