The Sun.
London, England, 1865-10-28 00:00:00

CHINA.

We take the following from the Overland China
Mail of the 11th of September :
" There are really no political events to record
regarding the past forthight. Rumours of success-
ful revolt from imperial authority somewhere about
Western Tartary have reached a northern journal
through the medium of a Shantung man. The re-
port states that the kingdom of I-li has been wrested
from the hands of the Celestial Emperor by a son of
the once celebrated Chang Kai-ur, who, as a Maho-
medan rebel, was beheaded in the second year of Tao
Kiang's reign. Should this report be true, the
Mahomedan faith will have established itself in a
tarp portion of Central Asia, as the territory said
to have passed from Tartar rule is about five times
the size of England and Wales. It is described as
lying to the north-west of Thibet, from which,
however, it is physically separated by the Koul-
kun mountains. It was long employed as a penal
settlement for political offenders. Rebellion so
far away from treaty ports is not generally in-
teresting to foreigners ; the only significance
of this conquest being the progress and vitality
still exhibited by the upholders of the Mahome-
dan creed ; a progress which may yet bring the
sword of the prophet, if not his faith, into the heart
of the Chinese empire. In the meantime, the limits
of China have undergone curtailment, assuming
that the loss of I-1i be correctly reported. The
Nyen-fei, or Northern rebels, have retired upon

M. Klein, of Basle, Federal Councillors Dubs
and Howegger, of Zurich, M. Vay, of Geneva, and
M. Girard, Neufchatel, opposed this opinion. It
was certain that the present constitution contained
many prejudices, and the Council considered it the
more advisable course to eliminate these before being
urged to lo so by the people. A speaker, M.
Legesser, had said that every constitution must be a
serious fact. This was the case with the constitu-
tion of 1848, which had been the offspring of a great
popular movement. Such an act had not, however,
always to be sought in marching battalions against
each other, but also in sitting down in cool blood to
remove deficiencies before they gave rise to disturb-
ance. A chief necessity of every good constitution
was that it should afford the means of making
material progress.

The result of the long debate was an almost
unanimous resolution to enter upon the proposed
revision, and to recommence it at the ensuing sitting
in accordance with the report brought in by the
commission.

Deaths of Prime Ministers.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SIR,—Trusting to your kind courtesy in insert-
ing in your valuable journal my different remarks of
public events, I now beg leave to give you the dates
of the deaths of the four Prime Ministers who have
died within the last 60 years as Premiers, i.e., since
the commencement of the present century. In
January, 1806, the'great William Pitt died, and was
buried in Westminster Abbey. In May, 1812, Mr.
Percival was shot in the lobby of the House of
Commons, by Bellingham. In August, 1827, died
the immortal George Canning, after having been
Premier only a few short months. He, too, like
the two immortal Pitts, was buried in Westminster
Abbey, and last, not least, the great man whose
loss all England now deplores, and who, ere this
letter of mine finds a place in the columns of your
journal, will be interred by the side of the
great men above alluded to, in October,
1865, having died nearly to a day sixty
years after the memorable and decisive battle
of Trafalgar, 21st October, 1805. " 'Tis sixty
years since" Lords Liverpool, Grey, Melbourne,
Aberdeen, the Duke of Wellington, the Earl of
Ripon, and last, not indeed least, the immortal Sir
Robert Peel, whose sad and premature death the
country will have to bewail and deplore for many
and many a long year to come (and he, without
wishing in the slightest degree to detract from the
merits of any of the Ministers I have mentioned, was
the greatest man and Minister England or even
the world ever saw). Lord Liverpool, although he
did not die actually as Premier, resigned in conse-
quence of ill health, and not from or by reason of
defeat. In April, 1827, he was overtaken by a fit
of apoplexy, whereupon his Ministry (which had
existed for 15 years, ever since the death of Percival
in 1812), came to an end (he was succeeded by
( erwso L7naaning, who, as I have stated above, died
the August following). He, however, did not die
until quite the end of the year 1828, nearly two
years after he had ceased to be Premier, and while
the great Duke of Wellington was first Lord of the
Treasury. Trusting to your usual kind courtesyto
give insertion to my letter, and apologising for its
length—l remain, sir, your obedient servant,
A LOVER OF HISTORICAL DATES AND FACTS.

THE MELTON SEASON.—Mr. Butler-Johnstone,
M.P., and Mr. Wostley Richards, are among the new
comers ; Sir Frederick Johnstone and Mr. Chaplin have
taken Coventry-house ; and Mr. Craufurd, with a splendid
stud, joins Mr. Gilmour, at the liarborough Arms. Lord
Wilton has built 10 additional boxes at The Lodge, where
there is now stabling for about 40 horses.—Stan ford
Mercury.

A PORPOISE NEAR HAMMERSMITII-BRID GE. --A
fine porpoise, about 4ft. long, was seen on Sunday
morning last as high up the Thames as Barnes, and since
then ho has been disporting himself between Barnes and
the Bishop of London's grounds near Putney-bridge. On
Monday, men in boats, with nets and rifles, endeavoured
to capture him, but without success. A fisherman named
Ribbens caught him in his net, but the net was so weak
that almost as soon as the porpoise felt himself entangled ho
broke away with the greatest ease. Yesterday the pursuit
was renewed, and, as there was no netting tackle at hand
strong enough, attempts were again made to shoot him, but
he baffled his pursuers, rising here and there up and down the
river where he was least expected, affording excellent sport
to those who happened to be on the banks or in wherries on
the water. Just before dusk ho made a plunge, and was
not again seen until near Putney, and thence he passed
under the bridge and down the river, leaving his pursuers
far behind. It is between 14 and 15 years since a porpoise
was seen so high up the river as Barnes.
Gov. Brownlow, in his message to the Legislature
of Tennessee, opposes the extension of theright of suffrage
to the negroes, except ih case the rebels were allowed to
have it ; is hi favour of the present franchise law ; advo-
cates pardon for the masses, and no mercy for the rebel
leaders ; strongly urges the encouragement of emigration ;
advocates the colonisation of negroes, either in Texas or
Mexico, after the French are cleaned out; is in favour of
granting the negro the right to testify in the courts, of
replacing the school fund stolen by rebel officials, of pre-
serving the hermitage property, of passing laws on the
subject of intemperance, amounting to prohibition of sale,
abd endorses President Johnson's course.

Mr. MILLER, M.P.—My hon. friend the member
for Bath (Mr. Tite) has proposed the resolution as
a political supporter of Lord Palmerston, and I can
assure you that if he had pleasure in proposing it, I
have equal pleasure in seconding the motion as a
member of her Majesty's Opposition. While I say
I was in opposition to Lord Palmerston, I am sure
I never entertained any other feeling, and I do not
believe that it was entertained by any other man
who knew him, than that he was a man of un-
blemished integrity, and actuated by the most pa-
triotic motives. He was generous and courteous in
his bearing as a gentleman, and a most kind-hearted
-man. (Hear.) •In saying this lam notmerely express-
ing my own sentiments, but I am sure every member
of the Opposition will equally echo the opinions to
which I have given expression, of respect for that
illustrious man, who for 57 years was a member of
the House of Commons, and who for 51 years of
that time filled the highest official positions in the
country. During the whole of that period it was
admitted that he never said a selfish word or did a
selfish action, having no other object in view but the
good of his country and the happiness of those whom
he represented. Lord Palmerston, as a politician,
has passed away, and can only now be remembered
as a public statesman, as a great.and patriotic mem-
ber of the British Government, to whom we are
deeply indebted for services rendered, and whose
example we should do well to follow. (Hear, hear.)
In political life I believe that the truth can be best
arrived at when the ideas of fallible men are scruti-
nised by the examination of discussion. I have great
pleasure in seconding the resolution, because it is in
no degree of a political character, and that an histori-
cal record should be placed on our books as an ack-
nowledgment of the support this board has always
received during its existence from the noble lord,
and I trust that it will be agreed to unanimously.
The motion was put and unanimously agreed to.
Mr. TITE, M.P., then moved that this resolution
should be advertised in the usual papers.
The CHAIRMAN said that no doubt it would be
the desire of the board to adjourn, but there were
some matters that must necessarily be disposed of.
Some routine matters were then gone through,
and the board adjourned.

The Lord Mayor Elect,

(From the City Press.)

Mr. Alderman Phillips comes to the civic throne
with a considerable amount of experience acquired
in the various offices which he has filledin connexion
with the Corporation. Though still in the prime
of life he has been a member of the Municipal
Council nearly 20 years, his first appearance there
dating as representative of the Ward of Farringdon
Within. As he was born in 1811, he was, of course,
at this time 36 years of age. The honour conferred
on him by his neighbours was simply the just testi-
mony won by his life amongst them. As a member
of the firm of Faudel, Phillips, and Sons (Newgate-
street), of which he is now the head, Mr. Phillips had
proved himself to be possessed in no small degree of
the somewhat rare faculty usually spoken of as com-
mon sense, great business tact and judgment, and
unblemished reputation. Nor did his qualifications
for public life terminate at this point, for unlike
many men who meet with commercial success, he
altogether declined to shut himself up to the mere
routine of money-making, and showed that he was
capable of taking an interest in matters affecting
the welfare of others, and that he possessed not only
the ability but the will to work. As a proof of the
expectations of his friends, when he was yet an
untried man, we may mention, in passing, that the
continuance of the confidence reposed in him was
evinced at the late general election, when his name
was one of the very few mentioned in connection
with the representation of the City. After serving
in the Court of Common Council ten years, a
vacancy occurred in the representation of his
Ward in tho Conti, of ..U.doilueu, by the Emig-
nation of Mr. Alderman Eagleton, and Mr.
Phillips had so far advanced in favour as
to be chosen to fill the position thus left open.
Two years later he was appointed to fill the office
of Sheriff, his companion being Mr. Alderman
Gabriel. He wore his honours gracefully, and
when the time came he resigned them with credit.
Having thus won and kept the esteem of all, his
assumption of a more prominent office than he has
yet filled will be regarded with interest and satis-
faction by all. Being a member of the Jewish
persuasion, and the first Jew admitted into the
municipality of London, he will be the second Lord
Mayor of that faith, the first being Mr. Alderman
Salomons. He is most benevolent, and has more
than once shown his practical sympathy with the
various wants of his brethren as well as those of
every other denomination, helping, on such occa-
sions, with purse and tongue, his speaking ability
being of a very high order. In conclusion, we have
only to add that he is a member of the Spectacle
Makers' Company, and that he has expressed his
determination fully to uphold the glories of the
Mansion House.

WIIAT THE PRESIDENT EXPECTS.—Judge Bird
of Alabama haS lately visited Washington, and he writes
a letter to the Mobile News, telling the people what the
President expects of the reconstructing States, which is as
follows :—"lst. Declare the African race free by the or-
ganic law bf each State. 2d. That each State will secure
and guarantyby her constitution civil rights to the freed-
men ; political rights, such as suffrage, sitting on juries,
Sze., aro not expected to be conferred on them at this time;
these are matters to bo left to the discretion of the several
States. But the freedom of the African race and the
guaranty of their civil rights aro requisite to the recon..
struction of State governments and their readmission t o
the Union."

.__Tn Louisiana,
Governor Wells has issued a pr o-
eltunation calling for the election of state officers and
members of Congress on the first Monday in Ne.venibm:
next. Immense herds of cattle are pouring into I iouisiann.
from Texas, and the price of beef in New Orieans has
fallen 15 cents In other parts of the State ate price
ranges from seven to ten cents per pound.

PLYMOUTH, Oct. 27.—Wind S.E.—Arrived—Priucess
Royal, from Quebec.

NEWPORT, Oct. 26.—Wind S.W.---Sailed—Margarats.,
for St. Thomas.

SWANSEA, Oct. 2G.—Wind S.E.—Arrived—Peep o' Day,
from Santander.

FALMOUTH, Oct. 27.—Wind S.W.—Arrived -Sperm,
from Porto Rico.

YARMOUTH, Oct. ..27.—Wiud S.W.—Arrived—Coriui
Puento, from Calcutta for Hamburg.

[BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH. I
GRAVESEND, Saturday Morning.
Arrived, Oct. 28.—Ellen, from Cronstadt ; Cornwall,
from Santa Anna.

DEAL, Saturday Morning.
Sailed—Several of tho outward bound, and others aro

preeparing.