The Sun.
London, England, 1854-02-04 00:00:00

IMPORTANT FROM AUSTRALIA.

The following important intelligence was con-
veyed in a private letter to a respectable house in
Liverpool, and was posted yesterday, by Thomas
Court, Esq., in the underwriters' room. -
" SYDNEY, Nov. 1.--The French 'have taken posses-
sion of New Caledonia. There is plenty of gold there,
at least, so it has already been believed, from the large
granite regions among the grove. If such be the case,
Great Britain ought to have been beforehand with
them, as it lies so near New South `alarm. The French
commander-in-chief in the New South Pacific has sent a.
vessel here to take a cargo of supplies• to the new colony
immediately. How will they relish this in England I"

New Caledonia is an island, or rather a group of
lying to the eastward of New South Wales,
being in lat. 23 S, long. 16 5 E.

THE COSMOS INSTITUTE-(THIS DAY.)

A conversazione was held this afternoon in Leicester-
square in the circular ground floor gallery of Mr.
Wyld's well-known and most remarkable ethnological
and geographical establishment. The collection which
we there saw grouped together, constituteii a, suf-
ficiently decisive denial, we should conjecture, to those
rumours which have here and there intimated that the
noble project of "The Cosmos Institute" had been in
any way abandoned. On the contrary, active, prepara-
tions are now visibly being made for its speedy and effi-
cient organisation. Among the curiosities we ourselves
had leisure‘to examine, we were particularly :interested
to observe the original drawings of scenery in the arctic
regions from the hand of Captain Inglefield. There are
also observable several strange products of 1 k.frican in-
dustry, and drawings and casts representing tt ► us all the
ugliness of the aborigines of Australia. The exhibition
of the varied marvels of the Cosmos Institute, even now
when still in embryo, commanded, as a matter• of course,
an excellent attendance from the commeneenaunt to the
close of the conversazionc..

THE MARQUIS OF ANGLESEA'S HEALTH.- —We are
happy to say that the Marquis of Anglesea is doing
well, and that the reports which have appeared as to the
state of his health have been greatly exaggera. ted. The
noble marquis will, we have reason to believe, be able
to come out in two or three days. Among z nany visi-
tors who called at the noble marquis's resideti co yester-
day mornin,,. , to inquire after the state of his lordship's
health, was Lord John Russell, who left Clic:slam -place
at a quarter to one o'clock, and walked to the 17eidde nee of
the Field Marshal. His Excellency Baron P4ranow, the
Russian Minister, was also amongst the inTluireirs yes-
terday after the health of the Marquis of Ang:lesea.
Lord Uxbridge arrived in town on Thui zzday from
Tewin Waters, near Welwyn, Herts, to att, zncl on his
noble and venerable parent.
Viscount Stratford de Redcliffe and the Ho n . Misses
Canning arrived in Grosvenor-square yestertla from
Lady Stuart do Rothsay's, Highcliffe House, nea r Christ-
church, Hants. The youthful Hon. Stratford. •Canning
continues in rather an infirm state of health.
Sir Charles and the Hon. Lady Hotham have arrived
in town, from visiting the Hon. Colonel and L. icly Mary
Wood, at Cumberland Lodge. Sir Charles wi 11 embark
to assume the government of Victoria (Austral ifs) at the
end of the month.
The Duke and Duchess of Bedford arrive d in Bel-
grave-square yesterday, from a visit to the Queen, at
Windsor Castle.
The Right Hon. Sir George and Lady Grey- have ar-
rived in Eaton-place, from Falloden Castle, Northum-
berland. .

ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA.—This lyrical esta.b lishment
will re-open for the season of 1854, on Tuesday,. the 21st
of March. The engagements, including Grisis4n d Mario,
are completed, and the programme will be in tl he hands'
of the subscibers in a few days.

MR. RALLA3I.--We have recently learnt vi ith pro-
found regret that this illustrious writer, one of •the most
distinguished historians of his age, in a isstate of health
so precarious as to cause the deepest anxiety to his
friends. The announcement will be received, •we doubt
not, with the utmost regret and sympathy by hall *those
whose studies have enabled them to appreciate the ser-
vices rendered by Mr. Hallam to our national li:lterature.
THE MINISTERIAL SIDE OF THE 11017 SE OF C•OMHONS.
—An admirable wood engraving, so entitled„ lone of
extraordinary dimensions by the way as a wood Ingrav-
ing) has this day been issued with the current nu mber of
the Illustrated London News—a number acuonlpanied,
moreover, Y interesting supp lement.
Several of theby likenessesanun introduced in this sketch of the
" Ministerial side of the House of Commons," are capi-
tal—some of them quite surprising in a woodcut. The
majority, indeed, cannot
well fail to be recognised at
a glance from Mr. Speiker downwards. Seatod on the
front Treasury bench may be perceived side by side—
Sir James Graham, the ever bland and impeitairbable ;
Lord John Russell huddled up with his hat over his
eyes ; Mr. Gladstone, the comely ; Mr. Wilson, the
underjawed and the longhaired; Lord Palmerston, the
ever young and debonnair—and the rest of their col-
leagues. At the extreme end of the row behind them—
Mr. Hume, and next to him Mr. Cobden. Mr. Drum-
mond at the end of the front bench just below the gang- •
way. In the back ground, under the gallery, such recognis-
able men as Mr. W.J J. Fox and Mr. Muntz. In the front
bench of the Opposition, everybody .familiar with the
house will perceive on the instant. the truthfulness of the
profile view of the right hon. gentleman the leader of
her Majesty's Opposition. Aback sketch of our dear
and immortal Colonel' Sibthorp is so exquisitely good as
to be absolutely laughable.
TUSSAUD'S EXHIBITION.—One of the most
interesting historical groups in the museum is that which
represents the unfortunate Mary Queen of Scots giving
audience to John Knox, who is depicted reproving the
Queen for adhering to the faith in which she had been
educated. This group has been taken from pictures and
other authentic s.mrces, and is highly characteristic of
tie sixteenth century, both in costume and effect.
the royal piper, and Smith, the royal pike-
man, who both went mad on Friday week last, are pro-
nounced incurable. The one is sent to Bedlam, and the
other to St. Luke's,