The Sun.
London, England, 1854-04-26 00:00:00

This is a day of national humiliation.

It is a

fitting opportunity for the sacrifice of the pride,
which alone induces them to prolong the hope-

ess contest.

Let them yield, then, with

,
good grace. If they do, there are abundant
grounds for legislative inquiry, and for the enact-

ment of laws calculated to place the relations of

labour and capital on a just and proper founda-

WINDSOR, TUESDAY. —The birthday of her Royal
Highness Princess Alice was celebrated here to-day with
the customary honours. A Royal salute was fired at
noon from Fort Belvidere, which was answered by the
Adelaide frigate on Virginia Water. A Royal salute
was also fired from the Corporation Ordnance by the
Town Bombardier in the Bachelor's-acre, and the bells
of St. George and St. John's churches sent forth their
merry peals at intervals throughout the day.
The Duchess of Sutherland, accompanied by the
youthful Lords Albert and Leveson Gower, arrived yes-
terday at Stafford House, St. James's, from Clifden
House.

The Duke and Duchess of Hamilton, who have been
visiting her Grace's maternal parent, the Grand Dowager
Duchess Stephanie of Baden, at Paris, and participating
in the Imperial hospitalities at the Tuileries, are ex-
pected in town.
NEW ORDER IN COUNCIL.—The publication of the
new order in council, distinctly specifying the articles to
which the prohibition against the export of munitions of
war is intended to apply, gave great satisfaction in the
City yesterday. It promises entirely to remove the
perplexities lately complained of by the firms in the iron
trade, as well as by the shippers of copper and other
metals, and, if carried out in a rational spirit by the
Customs authorities at the various ports, will bring the
inconveniences to be sustained within the narrowest
possible limits.

- A WAR GAZETTE.-----The Naval and Military Gazetta
says :—" We have been informed that the promotions
consequent upon the recommendations of the commis-
sion will appear in the Gazette on the 28th instant, and
that an annual full-pay retirement will be granted, in
fixed proportions, for each branch of the service. We
are, however, inclined to think that whatever promotion
is contemplated will not appear before the Queen's birth-
day, on the 24th of next month. However, many speak
confidently that the Gazette of the 28th instant is to be
the first great Gazette of the war. We give the news as
we have heard it."
POST-OFFICE RETURNS.—According to the Parlia-
mentary returns, there are in the United Kingdom 986
post-offices and 6,612 receiving-houses for letters ; 1,810
of these post-offices and receiving-houses are money-
order offices. The number of letters which pass through
the post-office department in the course of a year is
nearly 400,000,000. The number of miles which mails
travel over railways in a year is about 7,000,000. The
length of the English ocean mail lines is 55,000
miles. The English ocean mail packets traverse
1,600,000 miles annually. The number of money
orders issued yearly is 5,000,000. The number of ap-
plications for missing letters during twelve months is
nearly 10,000. The net revenue of the Post-office is
now above 1,000,0001. a year, and the cost of manage-
ment 1,400, 001. ; the pay
to
year,railway d companies
steam-
packet ime
for conveying mails is 320,000/.ment a
packet companies 8510,0 is nearlyoOl. oThl,o
The amount
and the
oouontlo f money
orders issued annually
yearly revenue derived from
orders is 80,000/. The value of
propertycommissioncoonntaimneodneiny
missing letters during twelve months is about 200,000/.