The Sun.
London, England, 1862-06-30 00:00:00

THE VICTORIA FOUNTAIN.

On Saturday afternoon th 3 fountain recently
erected in Victoria-park, and presented to the pub-
lic by Miss Burdett Coutts, was opened with great
ceremony in presence of 10,000 spectators. Arch-
deaeon Sinclair, in first addressing the vast
assembly, apologized for the absence of the Bishop
of London. The Hon. W. Cowper, her Majesty's
First Commissioner of Works, next addressed the
assembly. It became his duty, as officially intrusted
with the charge and custody of that park, to offer
to Miss Coutts the thanks of her Majesty and of the
public for this noble, beautiful, and useful present.
They had in Victoria-park a vast number of attrac-
tions. They had walks for the gratification of all
whn wanted to spend a little quiet leisure in the
abodee of nature. They had a lake for boating and
a. lake for bathing ; but, although they had water in
so many other forms and adapted to so many other
purposes, up to that moment there was no water
to drink. It was, in the words of the poet :

" Water, water everywhere,
"But not a drop to drink."

t' Miss Coutts had perceived this great want in that
park, and with that noble munificence which did
her infinite credit had stepped forward and had
supplied that great boon. He rejoiced most
heartily in thanking Miss Coutts for that drinking
fountain, which was the most beautiful that had yet
been built or imagined. He proposed that tiley
should give three hearty cheers to Miss Coutts, the
donor of that magnificent drinking fountain, a pro-
posal responded to in enthusiastic and prolonged
cheering. The Rev. G. P. Lockwood, rector
of South Hackney, thanked Miss Coutts on
behalf of the parish of South Hackney. Miss
Burdett Coutts then, amid the most tremendous
cheering, formally opened the fountain by taking
some of the water, and drinking health, prosperity,
and happiness to all the neighbourhood, and parti-
cularly to Victoria-park. The fountain is situate
in the eastern part of the Victoria-park, near the
Hackney-gate. It consists of a base 40ft. 9in. dia-
meter, and 3ft. bin. high, and of a superstructure
29ft. bin. in diameter, and 55ft. high. The super-
structure is divisible into an exterior and interior
octagon. The former consists of eight piers of po-
lished Peterhead granite, with carved capitals of
Aubigny stone, from which spring moulded arches
and groins. The height of the piers is 18ft. bin.
The interior octagon is less than the arcade by
which it is surrounded. Four of its sides are oecu
pied by the fountains,. At each angle a polished
shaft of Peterhead granite rises to the height of the
external piers, and is connected with them by the
moulded ribs that intersect the groined roof of the
arcade. Each fountain consists of a grey Aberdeen
granite pedestal, with bronze enrichments, contain-
ing a basin to contain the water, which is supplied
by a Sicilian marble figure in a fluted niche above
it. The drinking cups are of bronze, silver-plated
on the inside, and on the outside bearing Burton's
adage, " Temperance is a bridle of gold." The
panels of the alternate sides of the octagon are filled
with slabs of Connemara marble, separated by a
band of Emperor's red marble, bearing the follow-
ing inscription :—" The Victoria Fountain, given,
anno Domini 1862, by Angela Georgians Burdett
Coutts, for the love of God and country." The
works altogether reflect great credit on the archi-
tect, and have been executed under the direction of
Mr. H. A. Darbishire.

M. THALBEEG'S MATINEES.—The third matinee
attracted a large audience on Saturday to the Hanover-
square Rooms. M. Thaiberg's execution of his well-
known fantasia on the duet and preghiera from " La Son-
am was nothing short of incomparable. Besides the
foregoing, we had two of the compositions by means of
which M. Thalberg gained some of his earliest and brightest
laurels—the Study in A minor and the Andante in D flat.
The applause that greeted M. Thalberg at the end of each
of his peformances was hearty, vehement, and unanimous.
The programme of the fourth matinee (this day week),
besides other attractions, includes the "Prelude de l'Avenir,"
tthe universally renowned fantasia on the preghiera from
" Mose," and a grand sonata by Beethoven, for pianoforte
and violin, which will be performed by hl. Thalberg and
Herr Joachim.

FIRES.—This (Monday) morning shortly before
two o'clock, as a police constable was passing along High-
street, Marylebone, ho discovered that the premises of Mr.
J. Wheeler, No 5 in the before named street, were on fire.
The fearful element could not be arrested until Mr.
Wheeler's premises were partially turned out, and
those of Mr. Smith and Mr. SA, geant severely damaged.
About the same time another serious fire broke out in the
premises of Mr. ft. Nash, boot manufacturer, No. 16, Nor-
land-road, Notting-hill. A good supply of water having
been procured, all hands went to work in an admirable
manner, but the flames could not be conquered until the
entire range of premises, with the exception of the base-
ment, was consumed.

THE SPECIAL COMMISSION.—It has been decided
not to resume the special commission for Limerick, which
was adjourned to the Ist or July. The cases which were
expected to be tried at it will be disposed of at the assize 3.
During the first three months of this year the
yield of gold in New Soulb. Wales was 139,744 ounces• in
the corresponding period last year it was only 92,724
ounces,