The Sun.
London, England, 1862-07-12 00:00:00

INNERLEITHEN.-BIRD'S NEST IN A CHURCH

This year, as has happened in ono or two former years, a
pair of sparrows have built their nest under the gallery in
the parish church, and during Divine service on the last
three Sundays, one of the birds was seen flying through
the church to and from the nest, which is built in a small
cavity formed where two beams meet on the top of one of
the pillars supporting the gallery in front. Just below this
place there happens to be a hat-pin, and this being occu-
pied on the last two Sundays the entrance to the nest was
covered up. On the former of these occasions, it seems the
nest contained only eggs, and the bird made no serious at-
tempt to enter it ; but on Sunday last the young brood was
hatched. At first, when the parent entered the church to
visit its young, it fluttered only for a little around the nest
and then withdrew; but, as the day advanced, its instincts
doubtless informing it that the wants of its young were be-
come more pressing, it grew bolder, its visits became more
frequent, and the periods of its fluttering in front of the
nest of longer continuance. At length it mustered
courage to leap upon the hat, and eventally getting under
it, succeeded in reaching the objects of its affections.—Scots-
man.

The Prussian Chamber of Nobles has given its
approval to the military conventions concluded between
Prussia on the one hand, and the States of Saxe-Coburg
Gotha, Saxe-Altenburg, and Waldeck on the other. It
also passed the Passport-bill, but with the rejection of most
of the amendments introduced by the Chamber of Deputies,
so as nearly to restore it to its primitive forms as presented
by the Government.
The case of the naval Commander-in-Chief in the
East Indies having been brought under the notice of Par-
liament by Sir John Hey, it is right that the public, who
have as interest in the matter, should be enlightened as to
the cause which induced Sir John to call particular atten-
tention to it. In the olden days, when the East India
Company reigned supreme, and when the Pagoda-tree was
heavily laden with fruit, ready to the hand of every
vigorous shaker, the Admiral on the East India station
had a very handsome allowance in the shape of batty
money, but on the extinction of the rule of the Company
this, like many other good things, disappeared. This, how-
ever, did not alter the unpleasing fact that living
was dear, and continued dear, at Hong Kong ; and we
have the evidence of a very distinguished officer, Sir
Michael Seymour, that if it had not been for the Company's
allowance, he and other admirals would have been out
of pocket while discharging his duties to the nation.
We know that China is an expensive station, and
that it is impossible :for naval and military officers
to support the dignity of their position
allowances made by Government, and tharintehanosse
who are fortunate in the possession of PrivaZ main_
are compelled to make sacrifices in order to
with
tain a social equality with the wealthy merchants
whom they are naturally brought into nnintouaac. 12
may be also
The Cape
sta
of Good Hope and the West India t
expensive, but it cannot be looked upon as reasonable,
because no complaints have issued from Sir Bald win Walker
and Sir Alexander Milne, that an injustice should be
perpetrated on another Public servant. The Secretary
of State for India may nolonger have that control over
the portion of our Navy in the China waters which
b n
existed in the time of the °nu fortunes of " John Com-
pany," but should an unlucky day, which, we trust, may
off, be faragain dawn over our Indian possessions, he may
toobe happy to have recourse to all ships east of the Cape
of Good Hope ; and for this reason, if not for any other,
we shall be gladjif a connection can be maintained with
the Government of India and our naval Commander-in-
Chief, by a continuance ofa payment, the unexpected with-
drawal of which has citused much disagreeable feeling.-
4/r2ng and Navy Gazette.

We have reason to believe that the suggestion we
made last week respe3ting the equalisation of the allowances
received by the Commandants of the Maidstone and Can-
terbury cavalry depots respectively will be carried out, and
instead of the Maidstone Commandant getting 15s; a day
extra pay, that sum will be divided between him and the
Colonel Commanding at Canterbury. Major-General Gib-
sone's successor has not yet been appointed, but not impro-
bably Col. Hagart, C. 8., will be transferred from Canter-
bury. Col. Custance, on half-pay of the Carbineers, is
rumoured among those likely to obtain the Canterbury va-
cancy.--Army and Navy Gazette.
The colonelcy of the 37th Regiment, vacant by
the death of Lieutenant-General Fraser, has been conferred
on Major-General Sir Thomas S. Pratt, who served in
Holland in 1814, with the 26th. Regiment in China, and
lately in command of the troops in New Zealand. Sir
Thomas stood next on the list for a regiment.—Army and
Navy Gazette.
The colonelcy of the 98th Regiment, has just be-
come vacant by the death of General W. L. Darling--
Army and Navy Gazette.
No great disposition is shown by officers to take
the post of Deputy Quartermaster-General at Corfu, now
vacant. It will in all likelilmod be filled by one of the
lieutenant-colonels placed on b ,alf-pay,--.llrtnY y and aVY
gozeite.

ROBBERY OF 1,200 ROUBLES AT DOVER

Yesterday morning a singular charge of exten-
sive robbery during the transit of luggage from the
Ostend packet Diamond to the Custom-house was
investigated by the Dover magistrates. The par-
ticulars are as follew

William Goie, who was identified as an itinerant
vendor of nuts and oranges, was charged with
stealing from :the Admiralty Pier a portmanteau
bag, containg 1,200 Russian rouble notes, a box
containing some gold buttons (or studs), and se-
veral articles of wearing apparel, belonging to
Madame Bousa, the widow of a Russian gentleman.
M. Nicolas Delagette, the cousin of the lady,
deposed that the bag was in custody during the
passage from Ostend to Dover, and that he handed
it to the Custom-house officer who boarded the
Diamond when she arrived, but when he applied
for it at the Custom-house they could not find it.
I [James Spain, Customs officer, identified the port-
manteau bag produced as the one handed to him by
the last witness. He knew it by a private mark
which ho always put upon the luggage passing
through his hands. He pointed out the bag to a
ticket porter named Cullen, and remained on duty
on board the vessel.

Sergeant Barton had seen Cullen, and the master
of the porters had inquired of the other men, but
they all denied moving the bag. Cullen not being
in attendance a messenger was despatched for him.
He recollected seeing the beg, but he did not take
it from the vessel.

Chas. Goodban, a "commissioner" for the King's
Head Hotel, recognised the prisoner as the man he
saw walking from side to side of the porter's truck.
He thought the circumstance suspicious, took par-
ticular notice of him, and told the constable where
he had. seen him go to.
Sergeant Barton found the prisoner asleep in a
room at the City of London tap ; he had his clothes
on. On searching the room a quantity of lady's wear-
ing apparel was found secreted in the chimney, some
under the pillow of the bed, and the 1,200 rouble
notes in the window. Prisoner denied all know-
ledge of them, but he took him to the station-
house. He then returned to the tavern, and in
an old cart at the back of the house found the
leathern bag cut open as produced. When the pri-
soner was searched at the station-house a piece of a
foreign newspaper was found in his pocket, which
M. Delagette recognised as having been in the box.
The prisoner was fully committed for trial at the
Quarter Sessions on Monday.