The Sun.
London, England, 1865-05-31 00:00:00

Foreign Mail Packet List.

Australia and New Zealand, via Southampton... —June 18,
Ditto, via Marseilles June 12.

Brazil and Cape Verde. by British paoLet June 6.
Ditto, by French packet
Cape of Good Hope, Ascension, and St. Helena line 22.
China, Penang, and Singapore. via Sou t hampton Jane 2.
Ditto, via Marseilles Juue 12
Falkland Islands
Gibraltar, via Southampton
India (Calcutta), and Ceylon, via Southampton.... June 2.
Ditto, via Marseilles
India (Bombay), via Southampton. • June 11.
Ditto, via Marseilles ....June 5.
Mauritius, via Southampton
Ditto, via Marseil.ei June 5.
Newfoundland June 7.
Portugal June 5.
Ditto, by private ship to Lisbon
United States and British North America, by Bri-
tish packet
Ditto. by United States packet, via Southamp-
ton • 0000000 •
Ditto, via Cork
Ditto, by Canadian packet, via Londonderry.. June 2.
West Coast of Africa, Madeira, and Teneriffe June 10.
West Indies and Pacific (except Bahamas, Cuba,
and Mexico June 13.

PRETTY ARIEL, THE POPULAR FAVOURITE.---The
" Ariel " is the prettiest novelty produced for the
present season—so say all the journals of fashion, one of
which, the Queen and Court Chronicle, in describing this
recherché article, states that it consists of black net with a
rich bordering worked by hand in a tambour stitch in white
silk; the pattern resembles Brussels lace. The greatest
peculiarity of the material is that, like the chameleon, it
changes colour, and apparently assumes that of whatever
dress it covers ; thus, though the ground is always black,
over a mauve silk it appears mauve ; over a blue, blue—
the pattern remaining white. It is made in shawls, circu-
lars, circulars with two capes, and in fitting paletots. At
fetes, flower-shows, and especially at theraces, these unique
garments cannot fail to be extensively worn. Fashion has
affixed its stamp to the pretty " Ariel," and not to have
seen it is to admit not having seen the popular favourite of
the London season. It is a speciality of Messrs. Farmer
and Rogers of Regent-street, and one of the most charm-
ing novelties introduced by this well-known firm.
WESTMINSTER ABBEY.—The preachers appointed
for the special Sunday evening service to be held in
the nave of the Abbey, at 7 p.m., during the month of June
aro :—Whitsunday, June 4, his Graco the Most Rev. Dr.
Thomson, Archbishop of York; Trinity Sunday, June 11,
the Rev. Thomas James Rowsell, M.A., rector of St. Mar-
garet's, Lothbury ; June 18, the Rev. William 11. Brook-
field, M.A.. Rector of Somerby, Lincolnshire, reader at the
Rolls Chapel, and Chaplain in Ordinary to the Queen ; and
June 25, the Rev. Frederick Temple, D.D., Head Master of
Rugby, and Chaplain in Ordinary to ther Queen.
THE BUDGET REDUCTIONS.—The several Acts
were issued yesterday by which the reductions set forth in
the Budget for 1865 become law and take effect. The re-
duction of the tea duty from the old rate of Is. per lb. to
6d. per lb. commences to-morrow. The new rate of income
tax (4d. in the pound) commences from the 6th of April
last. The reduced duty of ls. 6duper £lOO on fira_insur-
anoes will commence on and after the 25th of June next.

A large quantity of esparto was destroyed by fire
at the Tyne Docks on Monday night.
ARMSTRONG GUNS.—A War-office return shows
that tho expenses incurred on all classes of Armstrong
guns, their fittings, projectiles, &c., since the date of the
last return (May, 1863) down to the end of March, 1864,
the latest period to which the accounts are complete, have
amounted to £207,411. To this must be added the pay-
ment to the Elswick Ordnance Company, which can be
stated from May, 1863 down to February, 1865—namely,
£78,007,