The Sun.
London, England, 1862-02-28 00:00:00

211 E PRINCESS ALICE.

\V IN D SOR, THURSDAY.
To-morrow her Royal Highness the Princess Alice will
take her departure from New Lodge, Windsor Great Park,
the seat of the Belgian Minister, and proceed to the resi-
dence of Sir James Clark, whom she will honour with her
company to dinner.

Her Royal Highness will sleep at the residence of this
eminent physician that night, and on the following (Satur-
day) Morning proceed to Osborne.

During the visit of her Royal Highness at the Belgian
Minister's, sho has taken daily rides in the vicinity of
Windsor Great Park, accompanied by Madame and Miss
Van de Weyer, and the people will be happy to learn that
the short sojourn in this healthy neighbourhood has con-
tributed materially towards re-establishing the health of
this amiatle Princess.

Busy preparations are going forward at the CF, stle for
the reception of her Majesty and the Royal family, who up
to last night were expected to arrive here on Thursday
next, the 6th of March; but this morning it has been an-
nounced that her Majesty may not leave the Isle of Wight
before the Tuesday following.

PROVIDENI CLERKS' BENEVOLENT

FUND.

In another part of our columns will be found a
report of that excellent and flourishing institution,
the Provident Clerks' Benevolent Fund. The gen-
tlemen who have the management of the fund
appear to possess the secret of success in a very
remarkable degree. No sooner does their list of
candidates show signs of accumulation than by a
special effort in one direction or another the want is
supplied, and the cheering help of the fund brought
to many a sad and destitute fireside. For seventeen
years they have annually elected additional perma-
nent annuitants on the fund, but it became clear
that a system so liberal must have its limits. The'
choice lay between restricting the benefits conferred
and increasing the means at the disposal of the
managers. A public dinner and a spirited appeal
to the members was the course decided on, and the
result was a net addition, after paying all expenses,
of £2,600 to the fund. By this help, and such other
sources as were open to them, an election of eight
additional annuitants is announced for May next.
We heartily congratulate the committee on so sa-
tisfactory a result of their labours. There are two.
features in this institute which deserve to be noticed
in letters of gold. One is that of 98 candidates for
annuities means have been found to provide for no
less than 77; the other, that the whole expenses,
as shown in the clear and succinct balance-sheet,
amount only to £3lO, for which an income of
£4,770 has been obtained.

It is of so much importance that the antiring
benevolence of the British public should he directed
into channels free from abuse, that We confidently
lay the above few facts before our readers, iii
the hope that they will include this noble institu-
tion among the recipients of their bounty. To the
merchants and others interested in commerce its
support is indeed a 0.-aty, and the long list of gene-
rous donations shows that the claim is not alto-
gether wrrecognised.

MAZZINI TO THE OPERA3IVE ASSO-
CIATIONS OF NAPLES.

The following letter frem M. Mazzini to the
Operative Associations of Naples, has been for-
warded to us for publication :

"Dear Brethren,—l thank you, although late, for
your affectionate expressions. My wish was to do
so before, but unsound health prevented me. Your
affectionate words are dear to me, and dearly
cherish the idea of shaking hands with you in Rome,
when Rome and Venice will be free.

" I feel convinced that as you are wishing for the
end, you will also wish for the means to achieve it.
" Only through our own united efforts we shall
obtain Rome and Venice. Every one is to fulfil
his own task. You are many ; and if moved by a
single thought, you constitute a Power in Naples.
Let the many of the other towns join you, and you
will constitute a Power in Italy. You ought, all in.
a body, with all your collective strength, to address
yourselves to the Government and demand to be
armed, and without delay. Insist until it is.grant-
ted. Arming the country is a vital question.
" Tne time is, perhaps, not far off when decisive
events will -take place in Italy. Woe to the
Italians if they are not armed ! They will be
crushed either by Austria or by Napoleon. But
we ought not to wait for events: we ought to create
them if we really aim at a United Italy. The rescue
of Rome and Venice can only emerge from a no-
tional initiative. The nation armed, and Garibaldi
as Captain of the People, are the first conditions of
that initiative. Do all in your power, so as to em-
body this idea into a mighty fact.
"Nelson's order of the day at the battle of Tra-
falgar—' The country expects every man to do hie
duty,'—ought to be affixed to all the corners of the
streets of our Hundred Cities.—Yours,
" G. MAZZINI."

IHE BLOCKADE OF THE SOUTH

AMERICAN PORTS.

A Parliamentary paper published yester'3ay coil'
tains a mass of correspondence from the British
Minister at Washington, the Consuls in the Ame-
rican ports, the Admiral on the station, and the
officers under his command, to the general effect
that the blockade maintained by the Federal fleet
is not effective. Lord Russell, however, declare
his opinion on the subject in the following letter :-."

(No. 116.)
EARL RUSSELL TO LORD LYONS.

Foreign-office, Feb. 15.
My Lord,—Her Majesty's Government have had under
their consideration the state of the blockade of the ports. of
Charleston and Wilmington.

It appears from the reports received from her Majesty's
naval officers that, although a sufficient blockading force la
stationed off those ports, various ships have successfully
eluded the blockade; a question might therefore be raised
es to whether such a blockade should be considered as
effective.

Her Majesty's Government, however, are of opinion
that, assuming that the blockade is duly notified, and also
that a number of ships is stationed and remains at the
entrance of a port, sufficient really to prevent access to it or,
to create an evident danger of entering or leaving it, 0°
that these ships do not voluntarily permit ingress or egret'
the fact that various ships may have successfully escape
through it (as in the particular instances here referred to)
will not of itself prevent the blockade from being an effee"
tive one by international law.
The adequacy of the force to maintain a blockade being
always, and necessarily a, matter of fact and evidence, and
one as to which different opinions may be entertained, 0
neutral state ought to exercise the greatest caution with re-
ference to the disregard of a de faeto and notified blockade,
and ought not to disregard it, except when it entertains 0
conviction, which is shared by neutrals generally having a°
interest in the matter, that the power of blockade is abused
by a state either unable to institute or maintain it, or 110"
walling, from some motive or other, to do so.—l am, &c.,
Mrs SELL.

THAMES EMBARKMENT Calliarsslo2(
(SURREY SIDE.)

-
Yesterday the commissioners re-assembled at the
offices of the commission in Victoria-street, West-
minster; minster ; Captain Douglas Galton, of the BOP-
Engineers, in the chair; and took into consideration
five plans for embanking the Surrey side of the
Thames. The first plan submitted was by Mr' "
•
A. Brooks, E.E. He proposed four quays for the
line of embankment. The first from Fore-street,
Lambeth, to Westminster-bridge ; the second
between Westminster-bridge and Bankside, South-
wark ; the third, off St. Saviour's Dock, Berman&
sey ; and the fourth from the Thames Tunnel to
King and Queen Stairs, Rotherhithe. The eats"
mated cost of the embankment from Lambeth
Palace to Bankside will be £162,492. Mr. Austin
proposed a 30 feet embankment wall, with conduits
into which the sewers would discharge, combined
with docks between the embankment walls. Mr:
T. E. Weller's plan consisted of a solid embankment
from Westminster-bridge to Blackfriars, following:
the present line of the river frontage. Mr. j'•
Lightfoot's embankment would run from Vauxhall
to Lambeth, with a roadway in front of all the
premises to Rotherhithe, with docks between the
roadway and the premises to London-bridge. Ale°'
a new bridge opposite the Horse Guards, and co
new street to unite York-street and College-street.
Mr. Giles suggested an embankment from Irctulc-
hall to Lambeth-bridge, and a roadway 60 feet. wide
to Bankside, and a new road from Nine Elms 1°
Lambeth. The commissioners then adjourned.