The Sun.
London, England, 1862-05-21 00:00:00

THE MARSHLAND DELUGE.

The Bedford Level is a tract of low land, contain-
ing about 400,000 acres, situate in Northampton-
shire, Huntingdonshire, Cambridgeshire, Suffolk,
Norfolk, and Lincolnshire. Its natural drainage is
by the Rivers Nene and Ouse into the great estuary
of the Wash, and so to the German Ocean ; but
but much of it, lying below the level of the sea, re-
mained for ages a series of lakes and swamps. Its
name is derived from the ducal family of Bedford,
which possesses large property in it, and two of the
heads of which—Francis, fourth earl, and his son
and successor William, fifth earl and first duke—
successively undertook (with the assistance of Sir
Cornelius Vermuyden, a Dutch engineer) its drain-
age and reclamation. _ _ _

In 1695 the Bedford Level was divided into the
North, Middle, and South Levels, all under the
management of the Bedford Level Corporation. In
1753 the North Level finally separated from the
others, and, having its own drainage by the Nene
(the Peterborough and Wisbech river), it is no
longer considered part of the Bedford Level. The
Middle and South Levels each drain into the Ouse
or Lynn River; but, as will be seen hereafter, the
Middle Level has now no connection with that
river until shortly before it reaches Lynn.
One of the earliest and chief works of the Bedford
Level Corporation was the erection of a sluice
across the Ouse at Denver, about 12 miles above
Lynn. This was advised by Vermuyden, but op-
posed by Westerdyck, another Dutch engineer em-
ployed by the corporation. A sluice consists of fold-
ing doors set in strong brickwork, and constructed
so as to be opened by the fresh water when the tide
runs out, and shut by the salt water when it comes
in—the retreating fresh water thus making way
for its own egress, and the advancing salt water
opposing a barrier to its own progress. The advan-
tages of a sluice are that the banks above it need
not be made strong enough to bear the weight and
violence of the sea water, nor high enough to avoid
being overtopped by an unusually high tide, and
that the retreating fresh water is not impeded in
its course by the advancing salt water.
Denver sluice was, of course, constructed solely
with a view to drainage, and its erection was
thought to have a bad effect on the navigation, par-
ticularly in choking Lynn harbour. In fact, drain-
age and navigation are, and always must be, conflict-
ing interests, the former requiring the channel to
contain as little, the latter as much water as pus-

sible.
In 1713 the controversy was for a time settled by
the tidal waters undermining and " blowing
.up"
Denver sluice, and in that condition
.remained
until 1750, when, in spite of strongopposition from
Lynn, it was rebuilt, and has remained ever since,
the recent statement of its destruction being alto-
gether a mistake.
Notwithstanding numerous and expensive works
for the drainage of the Middle and South Levels, it
remained very imperfect, while the navigation of
the Ouse became worse daily. An opinion gradually
prevailed that the bad state of both drainage and
navigation proceeded from the width, shallowness,
and circuitous course of the Ouse from Eau Brink
to Lynn, and ie. 1795 an Act was passed for making
a straight cut between these points, which, how-
ever, was not completed until 1821. The Act was
the first of 4 Series, called Eau Brink Acts, by
which the drainage of the Bedford Level is in effect
placed under the control of a body lately called
the Eau Brink Drainage Commissioners, but now
the Conservators of the Ouse Outfall, leaving the
Bedford Level Corporation but the shadow of au-
thority. It has recently been proposed to dissolve
that corporation, and finally separate the Middle
and South Levels.
The proprietors of have airway
e Middlk 7-,07e1

As soon as the breach in the bank can be re-
paired, it will not, it is thought, be a work of
great difficulty to get the water off of the fens,
which possess a complete system of drainage. But
it is useless to attempt this until the Middle Level
Commissioners have secured their banks, so as to
relieve the unfortunate fenmen from fear of further
inroads.

This, it may bo hoped, is now in a fair way of
being done. The Commissioners are said to have
given carte blanche to Mr. Hawkshaw, and it is
understood that the local works will be much under
the direction of Mr. Muller, a Dutch engineer, who
-L. ir71.17 fa ha rilirprvf
work designed to effect a similar alteram tion eiow
Lynn to that caused by the Eau Brink Cut above
it, but on a much larger scale.

NEWSVENDORS' BENEVOLENT

INSTIT U7ION.

The annual festival of this institution took place
last evening at the Freemasons' Tavern, under the
presidency of Mr. Charles Dickens. About 200
ladies and gentlemen sat down to an excellent din-
ner. Amongst those present were—Mr. Headland,
Miss Hogarth, Miss Dickens, Mr. Frank Dickens,
Mr. B. Webster, Mr. and Mrs. Wills, Mr., Mrs.,
and Miss Lehman, Mr. E. Yates, Mr. B. Jerrold,
Mr. W. Smalley, Mr. and Mrs. Benson, Mr., Mrs.,
and Miss Openheim, Mr. Leger, Mr. M'Murray,
The usual loyal toasts having been duly honoured,
Mr. E. Yates, an efficient member of the Civil
Service Volunteer Corps, appropriately acknow-
ledged the toast of " The Army, the Navy, and the
Volunteers." _ _

The Chairman, in proposing the toast of the even-
ing, said—Ladies and gentlemen, last year, when I
was to have had the honour of presiding at the an-
nual festival of this institution, I was prevented by
indisposition. I requested my friend Mr. Wilkie
Collins to reign in my stead. He very kindly com-
plied, to my great relief, and he made an excellent
speech. Indeed, to tell you the truth, I read the
account of it at the time with considerable uneasi-
ness, for it inspired me with a strong misgiving
that I might have done better to preside last year
with neuralgia in my face and my subject in
my head, rather than preside this year with
my neuralgia gone and my subject anticipated.
(Laughter.) Therefore I shall preface the toast
of the evening by making the managers
of this institution one very solemn and repentant
promise, and that is, that if ever I have to find them
a substitute again, they may implicitly rely. uponm
my sending them the most opeechless man in y
circle of acquaintance. (Renewed in ghter
chairman of last year implicitly imagined e uni-
versality of the nowsvendor's calling .)
the fhe
and the grtztt
variety of people who look for him every day, and
the great diversity of interest with which his bur-
den is expected. Now, nothing that I can think of
seems to be left for mo but to imegins his burclon
itself, to unfold one of those wonderful sheets which
he every day disseminates, and to take a glance
over the shoulder—a bird's eye view of the general
character of its contents. (Hear, hear.)
sunshine So, if you
please, choosing my weather as tilt; newsman can-
not, for he must be equally active in all weathers,
in winter as in summer, snow, in
light and in darkness, early
in
and
and late—l say choosing
my weather as an amateur can,
but as he cannot,
I will for two or three moments start off with my
newsman on a fine May morning, and take a peep
over his shoulder at one of the wonderful broad
sheets which he every day scatters broad cast.
(Hear, hear.) The first thing that occurs to me in
taking up the newspaper every morning is that we
are born every
day, that we are married every day
—some of us at least—(laughter)—and that we die
every day ; consequently, my first glimpse over
the newsman's shoulder instructs me that Atkins
is born, Catkins is married, and Datkins is
dead. But one of the most remarkable cir-
cumstances connected with this sheet is that
Atkins' infancy seems to be surprisingly brief,
for in the very next column it would appear that
he has grown up to be 17 years old, and has run
away from his mother. (Laughter.) At least Ise
" that if Mr. A." which stands for Atkins " who is
17 years old, in a dress suit, with one front tooth
missing, will only return to his disconsolate parent
everything will be arranged to the satisfaction of
everyone." lam afraid that he never will returbn,
for the reason amongst others perhaps, that if c
had meant ever to come back he never would have
f such
gone away. (Laughter.) Immediately below, I
find a mysterious creature in a position o
mysterious difficulty that it
figures, several
by several disjointed letters, several,,.
is only to be expressed
Amelia, write
stars, and some such adjuration. as
(Laughter.) Then, still
instantly. Distraction ! all is lost ! The canary
bird has made over the property to his uncle. The
industrious friend
elephant is on the wing."
glancing over the shoulder of my

Z?"
ir....__ fi, •• A b 4r,-,
1• LY PAPE R
,
1•2-.11.*,0.i.,A. wt,Z,
, ,3 ; - , r t,,,
--,.-----..:‘,... 14)
,i-,
all parts of the-earth, all going tiqhavri rd a
the newsman, there pass by i 4 sliiiitif ;' • '
_
despatch, all with a little more stowage for a ittle
more cargo, and a few more berths for a few more
passengers—all teak-built and copper-fastened—all
carrying experienced surgeons, and having elevated
space between decks—all, in short, A 1 al Lloyd's
and every where else. Still glancing over the shoulder
of my industrious friend, I am offered every kind
of house, lodging, clerk, servant, situation that I can
poesibly or impossibly want, with everything to eat,
drink, wear, and use. I learn, to my intense grati-
fication—for I begin to have some doubts upon the
subject myself—that I need never grow old, that
I may preserve the juvenile bloom of mycomplcxion
to any period of life—that I need never have any
mwoarenegrey hairs—(laughter)—that
again it is entirely my own fault—(laughter)—that
if I ever cough
.[ need never be ill of any complaint—that if I want
iht:: a :Li if
(Laughter.)
Ihrown cod liver oil I know where to find it—that if
a Turkish bath I know where to get it—
. Ave only to tend the postage stamps, and there it
shoulder, my eye rests on the Imperial Parlianwntf
gwhtaenrt:stailwl week for life for 2'. GI. down, I
glancing over the newsman's
and there 1 read, among other stereotyped passages,
which I am always sure to find there, how the hon.
member for somewhere, last night, asked the right
hon. gentleman the Secretary of State for the Home
Department whether he had any intelligence to
communicate respecting that last outrage, or that
last railway accident, or that last mine explosion,
or that last case of police justice, and I always read
how the right hon. gentleman said in reply, rather
magnificently, that "he knew nothing whatever
about the matter but what he had read in the
papers." (Laughter.) Which stereotyped reply I
observe to be universally received with a " Hear,
hear," which is to me perfectly incomprehensible,
because I can read about such things in the paper
without drawing a salary fordoing it. (Laughter.)
Well, then I see the police intelligence, and that
teaches me that if I want to bite a woman's nose off
I can do it very cheap—(hear, hear, and laughter)—
twhiendsoawlteidt
will
ie
costof exceedingly
laughter)—
but if I want surreptitiously to make off with
and also that if I allow myself to be betrayed into
gedionrglay calf from a shop
the folly, say of killing an unodffeenard—inglaturgaidetesmr)::
at his own doorstep, that little act of indiscretion
will not in the least interfere with my triumphant
production of testimonials to character as a most
amiable young man, particularly to be esteemed in
all respects, but singularly remarkable, above all
things, for the mild inoffensive character of my
disposition. (Laughter.) So, also, looking ever
the shoulder of my friend the newsman of the day,
I pass to the theatrical intelligence, and there per-
haps, I read the gratifying announcement, which
is no news to any one, that the true spirit of the
true and picturesque artist has been again dis-
played by Mr. Webster—(laughter)—and that
another most subtle piece of genuine comedy has
been achieved by Mr. Wigan. (Cheers.) Then,
turning my eye to the fine arts, under that head I
find the latest intelligence to be that a certain
I. 0. has most triumphantly exposed a certain
I. 0. 8., which I. 0. B. is remarkable for this sin-
gular and particulaiiy cool feature, that I vas re-
quired to make the sacrifice of depriving myb-Plf
a my best pictures by hanging them for si•
months upon wet walls, and that I was requited
for my courtesy by having them most impertinently
covered with a wet blanket. (Laughter.) Now,
ladies and gentlemen, summing up, in short, this
one glance over my newsman's shoulder gives
me the comprehensive knowledge of all that
is going on over the great continent of Eu-
rope, over the great continent of America to
boot, to say nothing of such little geographi-
cal regions as India and China; for Reuter'a.
telegrams come • straight to me. Under the head
of " Military Intelligence" I read the last news of
my boy in the army, and under the head of " Naval
Intelligence" I read the last news of my boy in the
navy, and all these topics are ready sifted for me in
sharp, terse, pointed, leading articles. In a word,
~ 11," n.c. tn,
i o 111 e timeo t mg& water att Ont FOAM VI, ea ~.1,, c..a._n_
latest movements of the Japanese Ambassadors.
(Laughter.) By the bye, the Japanese Ambassadors
ought of all things to be here to-night. (Hear.)
They could not be shown anything in England so
astonishing as a newsvendors' dinner, seeing that it
is the usage and policy of their country, as described
bytravellers, to forbid the circulation of news of any
kind, on pain of instant death, and to cut the news-
man in half the moment he shows himself. The
chairman then gave a sketch of the history and
progress of the Newsvendors' Provident Institution,
regretting that the benefits and advantages which
it offered were so little taken advantage of by the
newsvending fraternity, who were most likely to
require its assistance. Than the newsvendors there
were no more zealous and hardworking public ser-
vants, and their profits bore no proportion to the
great anxiety and care and the large amount of
wear and tear necessarily attendant on the discharge
of their daily functions. The Newsvendors' Bene-
volent and Provident Institution afforded assist-
ance to the decayed, indigent, sick, and needy
members of the trade. The subseripteifiotns
entitling members to participate in its
ibeinn
its
was, he might state, merely infinitesimaThe pro-
amount, being only five °Wilings
a yeaar.ointed out,
gress of the institution, the
reasons, that it had been sure.
on the funded capital,
granted only out of interest. .
had been slow, but it was alcohwaifruiorartheenpabioensts of all
reasons,
safeand thereforea theßanthke.
linnectiotnuctizonnsiomn:gthhte beehariergmaarndegdavase
prosperity to the Newsvendors' Benevolent and
Provident Institution," which was drunk with great
, ,
ue
amount
enthusiasm.:mas el o
uoo nfat
te
her
of nearly
toastsneevae
ru],
evening
followed, lltoohwoe ed
re ,
wereand
was
the t., subscriptionsnpneerufonreme de.d
In
nn
se
theto
co
admirable selection of music under the direction of
Mr. Lawler, assisted by Miss J. Wells, Miss Eyles
Mr. B. King, Mr. Baxter, Mr. Benler, Mr. Barnbb
and Mr. F. Chatterton.

REPRESENTATION OF KIDDER-

MINSTER.

KIDDERMINSTER, TUESDAY.
The writ for the election of n member for this
borough in the room of Mr. Bristow, who has ac-
cepted the solicitorship to the Admiralty, was
received here this morning ; and the Mayor (Mr.
Pemberton Talbot) at once issued a proclamation
fixing the nomination for next Monday at noon, and
th 6 roll for Tuesday. There are two candidates
actually in the field; and, from present appear-
' ances, there will be a sharp struggle. At the last
contest Mr. Bristow beat his Conservative anta-
cronist Mr. J. W. Iluddleston, Q.C., by a majority
6 f
of nine votes, the numbers being 207 and 216. l‘llir-
Huddleston, however, nothing daunted, came d.ow_t
here last nigllt) and to-day has issued av 7 5 Wirs
address offering
:,--jmself again for electnigsvnpolitical principles, he say's, are well R
:and
therefore he need not repeat them Luke
The Government candidate Colonel
is said,
rii"ddr2.Bs to the
White, who was defeated at Long:
the influence of the priests. in ln politicg J air
electors issued to-day he says
that I have already
enlightenment, and the
a true liberal, and one of thet
fact
member of her Ma-
been in Parliament, and am a
Government, may perhaps iTrlder it
jesty's present Govern school of progress atl.ll.
d more especm .3, as shall at ono
my political cree ,
trattend
wait upon every elec, o, , and public meetings
unnecessary to dilate upon or
Idietaillthe itetas of
• borough.
in your Ihe great events m hieh are
Government
b2,iie shouldveth
abteyour
stirring on the continent of Europe and in America
strengthened
borough
II
übsy e theve
of non-intervention and
render this a time when the hands of Lord Palmer-.
true advocates of the policy
ranked among the foremost
softoleib'sero:
principles." f •
fiends of those great
.....

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State embankments—to the sea ?—So stop all Pensions, and
pay, above £365-yr ; no Queen's nor Ministers' money.
Default on Russell's-1682—Bedford attaint ?
JAPANESE MISSION Cos., its 'KATHAY Baton
Q.) Rouge RIVER- Ot '—FLAWD-AGENT ILE-HEN,
By Articles 3.—.18, and 21, under texts Hollandaise' for
14 years' revision, signed on 26th August, 1858, and attested
by the Russian intermediate, Count Ignatief in 1859, under
Pekin'a Xtm-Tien-('sin Treaty—in Alcor's Vi and 'Ki
caputelation), Obedient to heaven's Zenith +4 eel ara-meter
Spiral-sphere fate 'Z overhead' earth-flit, distinct from the
Sun's planetOrry Tropic declination N. and S.
You are hereby called on to register the old La Montee
Q' civic limit-wall of China, as the Jeso-horizon of London,
40e N.' as England's 1581 Receipt of Exchequer, and take
out the Yedo copy of Standard Pigmeter weight for regional
exemplification, under your red moon' disc mark—of the
Menan-caVyian empire of the Borne 6 Yle's, on Q. Eliz.
and J. 's Enn'am to Sicily's fent in alto ekyset link, (as
between Man and God)—' Serpentine : : • fly audits.'
Explain to the Tycoon's Free-haired Tailmen as of our
fathers, That this results from my sole Macao charge, on
Holy Alliance of Christian-clubs, 1 Abolition 29th August,
1825, by 11 G. mt. c 55—founded on 14 G. tn., c 83,1774=0 for
universal meter-rod of the world's empyreal spirit -level
guidance--restored in 1824, suspended one year to kill off
the life and death 1815 justice-men' for '26 Romish-pope
—so cause of his illegal white Mitre' being set to all the
criminal law exchequer deeds, over which, if not removed
the writer will sign for the people's rights, without any
_Ruff-C,tian s.a.c. coolie marks of 1842's bald pated Chi-
nese Tartar shaved mark of Macartney's '92 foist—British
Government Rule by (ear-set) confusion.
tar The suspended 1824 Act became re-incorporated in
1835—and writer its State,',will trustee sworn 1837-43, for
the lineal spirit-level inter-Q-national oathing for all offices,
without philosophic creed ideal—on Staff in-set-sight.
Your MISSION was for this purpoy'ze to unite the treaty
of Feb., 1664, with the Anglo-Dutch Executive to Holland
as of Leicester's create 1560-85 so Cromwell and Louis xiv.,
1655, affirmed by Parliament, of 16 Car. fr., re-embody'd on
Phillipine-isles 6 & 6 native jury-1764-Scholastic teaching
the Red indians by Act of 1832 for making N. W. America
Behring's land-guarantee of Dutch-loan extends to New-
foundland-1820 as Crown colony Antipodean to N. Zealand,
Siam, and its Ceylon trop-arctic //word dexpendencies.
You'll now see into the May 14 Bar'ing-visit (leading
by Macdonald, to the son ASHBURTON Treaty) of my
state-associate—and afterwards to Northumberland-house
to pass before the Supreme tndian portraiture of_ A
Joseph
Brant, (stamp Act SagOmoth Chief of 1774-'93 'lf the
now America, west to east), uncle and predecessor of
now Siderial-crown Income-tax Freeman hereunto Bas-
ket'd as P. NwPwarT, one of your race under the 'ligne firers
for Washington Texas—Extradition. act, 1843—its alien's
having no French white' flag for their Cochin's-China
Annam assumption 'very Vannes 1821 Colberti f-nestaura
tion,' on my Mexi-Micmac Brazil sponsorship.
By letter, save disproved acts, Ye are of the out'd-1585
Dairy-suma or high Sinto Papists, separated from the state
Y.-kub'ship-coroner .t so, not of the peoples mats-maiHtr-
pole elect-Ty-cone of Zenith Crts—under the provincial Dia
mi-6 and district Sio-mi-6. If so—You'll 'Rip' or before
me oath Ratify for China—the Eastermost men by water
flag-limit April 7, 1862, by The high contracting parties, W.
-u. Seward Sc R. Pemell, city niQuarn'd Lyons' Amer. Ind.
Co'missioners by Art. 1, rule 2 within the territorial waters
of the other (L'aiitre neutre) party' ---eiriblan a-sister to
• mother earth's legistatriee, by Brantse in Peter./
In conclusion—Know that the Portugue-papal Tartar
change of your national Red water flag disc-.c Iby the
Macao'd Chancery (1618), and other's, by the
Dutch Japanese treaty with China Oct. 1663 to Feb. 1664,
—signed by Tycoon, for BORT Vander Does '&c.' whereby
the White flag with a red moon was set as d h'
a uc yr& Mexi-
Anahuac emblem, over your (Embassy in London.
Une base' qui (fit Armer la race-rouge si grand°
o
ca eons la loi civique ii ), pose avec Fiert6 I
l'on voit qua jamais I'ENOLAND' ne rearchande
Quand it faut par la mer leur dormer Liberte . -Q-
--• N.] II CHARLES ACKERLEY,
• • •
1-2 W. iv., N.. 54, Chamberlayne' Die-sworn.
• PETER BASCO:ET, Income-tax chief (1842, unpaid.§
• China Ruff wall circuit horizon of---London, May 21,
1862), its Montezuma-Texas-peace Red Flag.
tO So Paris-gab 'Wight ship' Selgire-voolnt Kalfateren
skiff Om-ega. " Het /chip seylt wel, het is ras in saylen,
—item, het is eon klock- ship in failen." id"- G-awa,
t By 25 Hen. irr. the Purser discargo-rer' or steward
is deputy-juror for Neighbours to the fact,' under Shipping
Act aid'onus, to avoid Ty-cone Coroner's sequestration in
log default on deaths or Offences to the Person by the
British-Triad 1842 Emigration Soc:, evac-sign Skin-belly
marks s. A. c. initials of Sandwich Isles, Australia and
Californian Spanish duty sr goldfinders.
(See The Sun of April 19, 28, and May 16.)

THEATRE-RO Y A 1,, HAYMARKET.
Lessee Mr. J B. Buckstone.
THIS EVENING, THE WOLF AND THE LAMB.
After which, at half-past 7, will be performed (1211th time)
OUR AMERICAN COUSIN. Asa Trenchard, Mr. Buck-
stone ; Lord Dundreary, Mr. Sothern.
Followed by a new Spanish Ballet entitled LA. CONTRA-
BANDISTA. Senora Perea ;Sena, Senor Ricardo, and the
Corps de Ballet.
To conclude with MY HUSBAND'S GHOST.

OYA.L LYCEUM THEATRE.
.1.1) Sole Lessee and Manager —Mr. Edmund Falconer.
181st Night of the continuous run of "Peep o'Day."
THIS EVENING, PEEP O'DAY ; or, Savourneen Deelish.
Messrs. Walter Lacy, Addison, Charles Selby, Geo. Melville,
and Edmund Falconer ; Mrs. D. P. Bowers, Miss Clara
Weston, and Miss M. Hudson.
After which, a new musical, pictorial, poetical, and ballet
interlude, entitled KILLARNEY. Miss Anna Whitty and
Miss Lydia Thomson.
To conclude with the new farce entitled I COULDN'T
HELP IT. Characters by Mr. Addison, Mr. Warlow, and I
Miss Lydia Thompson.
Acting Manager—Mr. F. B. Chatterton.
Prices as usual. Doors open at half -past 5, to commence at
Box-office open daily from 11 tills.
Commence a. 7

OYAL PRINCESS'S THEATRE.

After which, at a quarter to 8, THE MERRY WIVES
OF WINDSOR. Messrs. Ryder, J. G. Shore, Basil Potter,
Widdicomb, Meadows, J ordan, Raymond, Hig.gle, Paulo,
R. Cathcart, &c. ; Mrs. Weston, Miss R Leclercq, and Miss
C. Leclerc /.
To conclude with THRICE MARRIED. Messrs. Garden,
Shore, &c., and Miss C. Leclercq.
Commence at 7. No half-price.

MR, and MRS. CHARLES KEAN are
e.nc•af.,red at the ROYAL PRINCESS'S THEATRE
for a limited period, and Rr. A. HARRIS has great pleasure
in announcing their first appearance, after an absence of
three years, on SATURDAY next, 24th inst., when LOUIS
U. 11 be performed. and Mrs. C. Kean will appear
"I. evening during their engagement.

NTHIZA'PRE-BD
_LI Sole Pronrietor and Manager, Mr. B. Webster.
••• THIS EVENING, a new domestic drama, entitled DOT :
Tvicsers. J. L. Toole, Emery, Billington, Stephenson; bliss
L. Keeley, Miss Woolgar, Miss H. Simms, Miss K. Kelly,
and Mrs. H. Marston.
After which, THE PHANTOM. Ruthven, Mr. Dion
noucicault ; Messrs. Emery, Toole, Billington, P. Bedford,
bliss Simms, Miss K. Kelly, dm,.

---------- -
CA NTERBURY HALL AND FINE
ARTS GALLERY.
The miraculous STECKEL at a quarter to 11.
The renowned RITAISEY and NEWCOMB MINSTRELS
at Nine o'clock.
Grand Selections from " La Sonnambula," by Miss Rus-
sell, with Band and full Chorus, conducted by Mr. Jongh-
mans.
UNSIVOR at, in his celebrated Stump Speech " Or any
other man," and EUGENE, the great Burlesque Singer and
Dancer, at Ten o'clock.
The best Comic talent in London.
Messrs, Morton and Stanley beg to inform visitors to Lon-
don during the Exhibition that the GALLERY of PAINT-
INGS well be Open, free, between the hours of Twelve and
Two o'clock on and after Monday.

Besides all this the Merrimac only shows herself
to draw back again when the Monitor appears ;
Sewall's Point, the Confederate defence opposite
Port Monroe, is all but abandoned. Gen. LEE has
been compelled to retreat before Franklin and the
gunboats at West Point ; both Charleston and
Savannah are more threatened than ever, and the

rrHE OXFORD, 6, OXFORD-STREET.—.
Every Evening.—FlENßl and PFAU on the Flying
Trapeze (last two weeks). - The unrivalled Ethiopian Come-
dians, Rumsey and Newcomb's Minstrels, and Unsworth and
Eugene, in addition to shoot of comic talent.—Operatic Selec-
tions and the cantata of " MAY DAY" (by G. A. Macfarren)
and the "Jolly Delmare " (by G. Lin/ey), supported by the
entire company. including Miss Russe 3161 me. Enderssohn,
Messrs. Morley, Greene, and Albert.—F'ull Band and Chorus.
Musical Director, Mr. F. Jonghmans.
Ball, 6d.; Balcony and Stalls, is. ; Private Boxes, 105. 6d.

"J../
captured Confederate soldiers at Williamsburg were
found half starved! Thus, if the Lincoln Gazettes
speak truth, the cause of the Confederates in Vir-
ginia and on the Atlantic, is in a miserable plight
indeed. Of course all requires confirmation, except
that we have not yet found M'CLELLAN, or
111‘DowELL, telling falsehoods in their despatches.
It looks rather ominous that from the West the
report is, " nothing decisive from the armies of
Generals BEAUREGARD and HALLECK."

Aptly enough, the most " telling" incident in
that pictorial microcosm, Mr. FRITH'S great
picture of the Railway Station now on view in the
Haymarket, is that of the interception by a Detec-
tive of one those Representative Men of this nine-
teenth century, your arch Forger, Swindler, and
Embezzler, at the moment of his attempted escape.
Anyone who glances, however carelessly, at this
last of those true Hogarthian pictures of English
Life and Manners begun as a series with The
Derby Day—a' series, let us hope, long to be con-
tinued by this distinguished and popular Academi-
cian—anyone who glances, no matter how casually,
at this second, and in some respects still more
remarkable portraiture of the busy and varied
world of English Life and Manners as seen at a
great London Railway Terminus, will have his
attention at once revitted to the particular group
(the little group in the right hand corner) here
referredto. The scene chosen by the artist, as everyone
knows who has yet seen the picture, as thousands of
others know even without having seen it, namely
by hearsay is the platform of the Great Western
station at Paddington a few moment's before the
Secession is worth sacrifice. So think, assuredly starting of the Down Express. You see from the
the inhabitants cif New Orleans and the planters faint whiff of steam that the engine is "blowing
along the banks of the —MiSsissippi. ELEVEN off" at its shrillest. Although you are there
THOUSAND bales of cotton are now reported, on as a mere spectator, having no personal interest
been burnt at New in the comings and goings of the motely concourse
Federal authority, to have
Orleans ; and, altogether, cotton and shipping to crowding the foreground, and, for the most part,
the valae of ONE MILLION AND A-HALF TO TWO jostling each other in mutually g con-
g bewildering
!
MILLIONS sterlin Right or wrong in regard to fusion, you participate by the sheer force
who are ready to destroy of human sympathy in the
prevailing excite-
their cause, the people,
their property at this rate, must have their hearts merit. You seem, in a manner, hurried and
in it; and, if there be, as is likely, many unionists breathless, with a vague anxiety about you of
in a commercial city like New Orleans, many who being somehow too late. Yet, while infected with
care for nothing but a quiet prosecution of their those sensations, sensations visible, almost audible,
trade, such as would be found in Liverpool and among those who are hurrying wildly hither about
London equally; yet, it is pretty plain that those the platform a few seconds before the signal for
who have any public spirit are all on the side of Starting—cast but one momentary look upon any
being independent of the North. one of the faces in thatlittle group clustered together
It is to be remembered that, on taking the city, in the right hand corner of the picture and you
the port was commercially opened, so that those forget everything in that instant recognition of
who have destroyed their cotton could have corn- the human tragedy it reveals. Train, passengers,
manded, had they been willing to sell, a good price railway porters, engine men, newsboys, soldiers,
for it. If we mistake not, they have
enemy would have seized, but what -
destroyed not sailors, raw recruits, dapper volunteers, the bilious
what the
ia,„,
gladly b Frenchman bewildered
by the stolid effrontery of
ommereial agents would have
ought If the Loncit;i: nObY who is doing him out of a hand-
__

HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE.
Tits DAY.—Morning, 7h. 42m.—Afternoon, Bh. 15m.
To-moßßow.-Morning, Bh. 53m.—Afternoon, 9h. 26m.

NOTICE.

Ail remittances are, henceforth, to be made to
Mr. JOHN CHAPLIN, at The Sun office, 112,
Strand, who has been appointed, by the Lord
Chancellor, Receiver and Manager of The Sun
newspaper, and the outstanding debts due in
respect thereof.

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THE SUN.
LONDON, WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 1862.

so, the only reason could be to deprive the Massa-
chusetts factories of cotton, and New York merchants
of the profits of selling it, although the destroyers
of their own crops lost more by the act than Mas-
sachusetts and New York together. The Louisville
Dispatch—arid the railroads from the town go direct
to the Mississippi—reports that all the way along its
banks, from New Orleans to Memphis, where BEAU-
REGARD was by the last accounts, there is a general
bonfire of property—of cotton especially. And that
at Memphis itself they were preparing to destroy
everything in like manner, on the approach of the
Federals. The property was also being destroyed
along the tributaries of the great river,anod it ie,
added, with an exactness which imitates
e
evi-
dences the truth, that only onelnpldeaentderth accountsobjected to
the destruction of his cotton.
i
appear to be explicit enough ;
use-
less desperation of the act renders
nothng butnthiem any theway
doubtful. The Federals have cleared the banks of
the " Father of Waters" of all the defences erected
on them, and the Confederates, in response, have
cleared the banks of all the property they were
erected to
protect.
In one not unimportant particular the more de&
nite accounts differ from the first telegrams. The
forts were reduced by the fire of the ships. That
fire lasted six days without intermission, and was
followed by an honourable capitulation on the 25th
of April. As so little injury was done to the fleet,
while the very strong forts succumbed, the lesson
to Lord .PALMERSTON is the same. The forts
would not, indeed, be equal to those for which he
would have us pay our millions without stint, either
in respect to invulnerability or weight of armament;
but the ships which would ever attack our forts
would be as superior to those which which subdued
the Mississippi forts as ours would be to the latter.
Twenty-one mortarboats and three gunboats were
sufficient for the reduction of two forts thought
to be impregnable, and possessing every artificial
advantage. The forts were supported not only
by booms and chains across the river, but by
such gunboats as the Confederates could muster;
but the total destruction of the whole is recorded,
including eleven gunboats.
The accounts from Yorktown—though we must
remember they come through a press under the
virtual censorship of the American Secretary for
War—are decidedly worse for the Confederates.
They have almost fled, rather than retreated, ac-
cording to these accounts. Not being permitted
by M'CLELLAN to rest at Williamsburg, where
they fought fiercely, they were " pursued" across
the Chickahominy, the small river which runs
half across the peninsula, about ten miles from
Williamsburg, and twenty from Yorktown. Here
the Confederates destroyed the bridges over the
river, bat they seem to be in great jeopardy.
Somehow in these Federal accounts of to-day, we
suddenly lose sight of the large Confederate army
described by M'CLELLAN as probably considerably
larger than his own, and find them speculating on
the fate of a Confederate fugitive army. It has
become all at once so much smaller, that M'CLELLAN
sends twenty thousand men, with reinforcements to
follow, up the York River to West Point, to inter-
cept this lately mighty army, now fugitives, before
they reach Richmond ! We own that we cannot
explain the apparent discrepancy. We can easily
make three or four suppositions, but we :have
no means of determining which is most probable.
The last despatch from M'CLELLAN should be
authoritative, and according to that one would
think Richmond would soon be at his mercy. He
had joined the troops he sent forward to West
Point under FRANKLIN ; and the Confederates had
actually, to avoid him; crossed over to the Southern
bank of the St. James
gunboats, were actually ascending the St.
James itself—the river on which Richmond stands.
The sum of these accounts is that M'CLELLAN is
half-way up the peninsula, about thirty-five orforty
miles from Richmond—gunboats supporting him
on both rivers, and the Confederate army avoiding
him whenever he comes. If there is no exaggeration
here, we must soon hear of a bloody battle near to
Richmond, or of its surrender.