The Sun.
London, England, 1853-01-10 00:00:00

SPAIN.

Our dispatches from Madrid, of the 4th instant,
state that the Moderate opposition electoral com-
miLtee had diminished in number to 54 ; it was, in
conjunction with the Progressist committee, about
to try the question of the legality of the steps taken
against them by the authorities, in order to prove

whether the responsibility of the agents of Govern-
ment was real or not.

A decree on the press of a somewhat liberal
nature was about to appear.
Madiid. Bourse, Jan. 4.—The Three per Cents.,
42/ ; Deferred, 23i ; Exchange on London, 51
paper.

Private letters from Madrid, dated the 4th, state
that the Government had submitted to the Supreme
Council of War and Marine an expostulation ad-
dressed by General Narvaez to the Queen on the
subject of the mock mission. which has served as a
pretext for exiling him from Spain ; and that the
opinion of the Council has been asked as to whether
the writer may not be prosecuted criminally for
the language made use of in that document. The
General is residing at Biarritz, near Bayonne, in
the house of a friend.

It was still doubted whether the Cabinet would
last till the elections. The civil governors of pro-
vinces have been consulted as to the feelings of the
country, and as to the probability of the Govern-
ment having a,majority in the Chamber of Depu-
ties. If the contrary be shown, it is thought the
Ministers will retire.

GERMANY.
On the 7th instant the Second Chamber was en-
gaged in the election of its president. Two scru-
tinies not having given the majority to any of the
candidates, a third was taken, and produced 154
votes for the Count de Schwerin, and the same
number for M. de Kliest Rezow. The question
was settled by ballot in favour of the count, who
announced his acceptance of the office.
A letter from the Baltic, in the Cologne Gazette,
states that the Grand Duke of Oldenburgh has not
assented to the treaty of Warsaw, but that on the
contrary he has expressly reserved his hereditary
rights so far as relates to the duchies.

MR. FARADAY'S JUVENILE LECTURES AT

THE ROYAL INSTITUTION.

The closing lecture of the series was delivered on
Saturday to a very large assembly of young persons and
adults. A considerable portion of the course having
been occupied with illustrations of the action of the
atmosphere upon such bodies as carbon and hydrogen,
on this occasion the lecturer confined his remarks and
experiments on that subject. The combustibility of
sulphur and of phosphorus was clearly exhibited, the
former being connected for that purpose with charcoal,
and the experiments terminated with the action of oxygen
on both substances, as being, in its pure state, the most
powerful instrument of combustion. This was the old
story over again, Mr. Faraday observed ; but the ques-
tions put to him at the close of the lecture showed that
it was impossible to repeat it too frequently. The im-
portance of phosphorus was shown as an element in
the fabric of the human body, and its necessary pre-
sence in the vegetable kingdom, in order to replace ani-
mal waste. Great stress was laid upon chemical affi-
nity as the source of many of the operations which were
constantly taking place around us, and this was amply
illustrated by examples. Sulphuric acid was now intro-
duced as the strongest of what are termed the acid
powers, formed by the union of sulphur with oxygen as
the largest other ingredient. To show the strength of
this substance, a blue liquid in a large bottle was by the
application of one or two drops of the acid changed into
a red one. With the same view was exhibited the influ-
ence of sulphuric acid in destroying ammonia and ii?
charring wood. A few drops of the acid were also poured
upon some syrup of sugar, which in a few seconds as-
sumed the shape of a black and almost solid mass. Thus
it was observed, by means of chemistry, they gained a
knowledge of the wonderful powers of sulphuric acid,
composed of an inert and apparently indifferent substance
called sulphur, and of another inert and apparently indif-
ferent substance called oxygen. Separately these appeared
incapable of exercising any important influence, but their
mighty powers were developed by chemical affinity. He
then proceeded to speak of the metals. They were, he
said, thirty or forty in number, including some of the
strongest bodies in nature, and were all elementary, and
all, apparently at least, opaque. But what he chiefly
desired to show was their combustibility. Iron was a
very combustible substance ; so combustible that but for
one little circumstance, the Crystal Palace would have
burnt down spontaneously, in consequence of the share
which iron had in its composition. The combustibility
of zinc was then shown by experiment ; some shreds of
that metal, in the form of a tassel, when placed in a jar of
oxygen burning like paper. The combustibility of iron
was illustrated by the friction of steel. Copper and tin
were burnt at a small charcoal furnace. Antimony, after
burning for some time at the same furnace, was thrown
down upon a white frame which lay upon the floor, where
it continued to burn in globules until all was consumed.
A similar experiment was performed with iron. The ques-
tion might be asked, said the lecturer, why, if these metals
were so combustible, they were not used as fuel? The an-
swer to that question illustrated the extraordinary diver-
sity which existed in nature. Such bodies as carbon,
when burnt, produced substances of a volatile nature,
which mingled with the atmosphere ; but as soon as
burning metals had cooled they assumed a condensed
and even solid form ; so that lead for example, after be-
ing consumed left behind it, in the form of oxide of lead,
a substance weighing more than the original one. This
was proved by experiment ; and to show one of the uses
of oxide of lead, the lecturer exhibited a piece of glass
about an inch thick, two-thirds of which, he said, were
composed of that substance. Mr. Faraday terminated
his interesting expositions by expressing a hope that
what his juvenile hearers had heard, would prove the
foundation of a careful and progressive acquaintance
with the science of chemistry; a hope which seemed to
be borne out by the rush instantly made to the appara-
tus, and the thronging of fifty eager young inquirers
around the lecturer.

DEATH OF MR. EDWARD SEGUlN.—lntelligence has
been received of the death of Mr. Edward Seguin, at
New York. This young vocalist was one of the earliest
pupils of the Royal Academy of Music in Hanover-
square, where he distinguished himself very considerably.
He made his debut at her Majesty's Theatre, in Crima-
rosa's opera of "II Matrimonio Segreto," in which, even
by the side of Lablache, his voice and style created for
him not only a highly flattering reception, but also led
to a call at the close of the opera. Subsequently his
services were retained by Mr. Bunn for Drury-lane,
where he again distinguished himself in "La Sonnam-
bula," "Gustavus," and many other operas, in which he
played in conjunction with Madame Malibran. Mr.
Bunn's operatic experiments at this period did not receive
much encouragement, and as favourable overtures were
made to Mr. Seguin for-himself and his wife (formerly
Miss Childe, a pupil of the Royal Academy of Music)
from America, they left about 14 years since. The suc-
cess of Mr. and Mrs. Seguin during their sojourn in
America was highly satisfactory, the widow, with four
children, being left in very comfortable circumstances.
VICTIMISING THE YANKEES.—There has recently been
arrested near St. Loui,, United States, a man calling
himself Houghton, who had a short time before victimised
some wealthy citizens of Bloomington, Illinois, out of
about 50,000 dollars, under the pretence that he was a
wealthy gentleman from Leeds, England, and was about
to establish a bank there under the new banking law of
the state. A large portion of the property has been re-
covered. He had pursued his business in many places,
with much skill and address, for some time.

BRITISH AND FOREIGN SHIPPING.—Although the com-
parative statement of the number of ships, both British
and foreign, which entered inwards and cleared outwards
with cargo from and to places within the limits of the
East India Company's charter, in the years 1851 and
1852, issued on Friday by the London East India and
China Association, exhibits an aggregate increase of 40
ships inward in 1852 as compared with the year 1851, it
must be borne in mind that this return for 1852 includes
no fewer than 97 foreign ships, whilst the return for 1851
is confined to Whist} ships exclusively ; deducting, there-
fore, the excess of 40 from 97, there is an actual decrease
of 57 British ships inwards in the year 1852, as compared
with 1851. As regards the ships cleared outwards, the
year 1852 shows an increase of 155 as compared with
1851 ; but as this latter was a year in which the decrease,
as compared with its predecessor, 1850, amounted to 222
ships, to have recovered but 155 out of a loss of 222 shows
a decrease, as compared with 1850, of 67 ; to which add
the inclusion, now for the first time, of foreign ships, in
number 61, and we have a diminution in British ship-
ping outwards of 128 ships. What would have been the
deficiency, but for the attraction to Australia (the in-
crease to that one destination being no less than 230
ships) it is easy to estimate.
REPORTED DEATH OF M. MADIAL—The Florence
correspondent of the Opinions of Turin writes that Fran-
cesco Madiai has died in the prison into which he was
cast for reading the Bible with his family and friends.
FIRE AT GREAT TEY.—APPREHENSION OF THE SUP-
POSED INCENDIARIES.—On Saturday evening last, about
half-past seven, a fire broke out at Buckles Farm, Great
Tey, the property of the late Rev. James Brown, and
occupied by Mr. W. Kemp. Immediately on receiving
intelligence of the outbreak, Mr. D. Leaper, the Cogges-
hall agent of the Essex Equitable Fire Office, proceeded
with an engine to the scene of conflagration, and, with a
good supply of water at hand, was able to preserve the
dwelling-house, stabling, cow-house, granary, gig-house,
and piggeries from destruction. The property consumed
consisted of a barn (at the back part of which the fire
originated), two cattle sheds, stacks of wheat, barley,
oats, beans, peas, and hay ; six loads of threshed and
unthreshed wheat in the barn were partly consumed ;
and the barn utensils, including a threshing and dressing
machine, were also destroyed. Suspicions attaching to
two young labourers, named George Breed and Alfred
Carey, from Coggeshall, they were at once apprehended.
On Monday the prisoners were brought up at the County
Magistrate's Office, and were remanded till Monday.
The only motive that can be assigned for the act is the
fact of Mr. Kemp having had a threshing machine at
work on his farm.— Essex Standard.

THE QUART AND PINT BOTTLE QUESTION. On Satur-
day, at the Brentford Petty Sessions, William Bayliss,
landlord of the Railway Hotel, at Twickenham, appeared
to answer an information laid by the Inspector of Weights
and Measures for selling a certain quantity of beer in
quart and pint bottles which were not of the imperial
measure. Evidence was given of the purchase at the
defendant's hotel of bottles of the usual size, commonly
called quart and pint bottles, and it was alleged that the
law had been infringed by reason of these bottles not
holding full quarts and pints. The bench said, as hun-
dreds of people with their eyes wide open were in the
habit of purchasing these bottles, well knowing they did
not contain the full measure, they should not convict the
defendant. The agents of the brewers who supplied the
publicans were the parties in fault, if any, and therefore
the present information must be &amine&

LITEBATUBE.

Broomhill ; or, the County Beauties. 3 vols.

There is something very attractive about this
novel ; it is simply narrated without affectation or
display—its purport being to chronicle the spring
time of two fair sisters, who "grew in beauty side
by side" in the shelter of their country house.
From that peaceful retreat they passed into the
troubled scene of society, where their careers were
singularly unfortunate. Ellen the elder had, in-
deed, finished her brief role as young lady before
Flora was introduced. It would have been far
better for both sisters to have appeared together,
as many mistakes might not have been committed
by them had they thus acted. Ellen was deceived
by a most despicable character, who was actually
engaged to his cousin, while he trifled with the
affections of the fair Miss Mulcaster. Subse-
quently, excited and maddened at the idea of ap-
pearing to wear the willow for such a man, Ellen
was married to an old friend and playfellow,
in spite of the entreaties of her friends ; she was
unhappy and dejected, conscious she had neglected
her duties, and at last sunk into an early grave.
In the bloom of youth and loveliness she was laid
to rest in the stately halls of Caversham, amid her
husband's ancestors. Flora was nearly broken
hearted at losing her only tie to life, but time at
last soothed her grief. The character of this
heroine is by far the most pleasing of the two ; she
has more energy, gaiety, and brilliancy about her
manner ; likewise she had better feelings and higher
principles than her unfortunate sister. Both lovely
to an unusual degree, —both surrounded by ad-
mirers, pouring into their young, inexperienced
minds every species of false praise and insincere
adoration, without a relative to counsel, or a friend
to advise,—their position was very trying. In the
balance, however, the youngest was not found want-
ing, while the eldest was, with all her haughtiness,
very vain, and quite aware of her own value. With
different circumstances Ellen might have done well,
but it was Flora's triumph to make the best of all
that happened to her. The former sunk under the
world's trials, and yielded to its temptations ; the
latter had faith to endure her afflictions, and
spirit to rise and overcome all difficulties. Her
lot was as painful as her sister's ; for many years
she had to encounter misunderstandings on all
sides ; death did not snatch her from the scene of
her labours ; she had her work to finish, and it
was not till nearly ten years after our first meeting
her as a gay, light-hearted girl that any prospect of
peace is offered to her. The most agreeable part
of the story is, perhaps, the episode o the aunt of
the sisters, Mrs. Tronbridge, who had brought
them up from infancy, at their grandfather's
estate. She had been engaged in early youth
to a favourite friend of her father's, but owing
to the young man's godmother not leaving
him her property, as had been anticipated,
the relentless Mr. Heneage refused to allow any
further intercourse. Twenty years passed away,
the father had long since been consigned to his
family vault"; the sorrowing and disappointed Mar-
garet yet led a single life, when her faithful and at-
tached lover at last returned. It was a struggle to
the affectionate aunt to leave her nieces, but at last
she yielded, and departed for India, whither they
were compelled to return, in consequence of a bank
failing in which Mr. Tronbridge had placed his
money. The character of Cecil is very well given,
likewise his brother deserves approbation ; it is to
be feared that there are many to serve as proto-
types to Lord Allwyn Conyers, thoughtless, un-
principled, and reckless, was really designing evil,
perhaps, but perfectly indifferent when it does re-
sult from their actions. On the whole, few can fail
to be interested in the perusal of these volumes, for
their heroines are not fabled houris, or emanations
of a poet's dream, but life-like creatures, whose lot
is cast in the world around us. Many such may
be seen daily in our paths, if we except their sur-
passing loveliness, for it is an acknowledged fact
that, when the novelist would pourtray the beauty
of the face, he best succeeds who draws inspirations
from imaginings ; but when he would describe the
sorrow of the heart, reality will afford the best
suggestions, forthe experience of every age attests
that, while many may doubt the vraisemblance
of beauty, none will deny the truth and sober
earnestness of suffering :
" Wo must devote a few lines of description to the
lovely creature now standing before us. Sho was plainly
dressed in white, though the elaborate simplicity and per-
fect freshness of her toilet displayed more foreign than
English taste. The corsage a l'enfant showed the long and
slender waist to groat advantage ; and the bright scarlet
opera cloak, as she held it negligently round her, con-
trasted well with the 'snowy neck, the soft and alomst
transparently pale complexion, with but a faint tinge of
colour on the rounded cheek. Every feature was faultless :
the low forehead, the nose and chin, chiselled as though
modelled by a Grecian sculptor, accorded well with the
curved and haughty upper lip. When in repose, beautiful
as was the face, the expression of the mouth was hardly
pleasing until she spoke or smiled, and then it changed to
one of extreme softness and gentleness.
" We must now describe, as concisely as possible, our
favourite Flora. If one sister was a perfect specimen of
a brunette, the other was as completely a blonde ; no one
could look at her and for a moment mistake the country
and nation whose child she was. Her features were not
so faultless as her sister's ; they could hardly indeed bear a
comparison with them. Still, though the nose might not
be Grecian, and the forehead a shade too high, the sweet-
ness of the well-cut mouth, dimpled chin, and bright coral
lips ever beaming with smiles, and the joyous light of eyes
of that rare shade of veritable turquoise blue, constituted
Flora an undoubted beauty, without the addition of th•
brilliant pink and white complexion, and clouds of golden
ringlets, which, curling, naturally increased her resem-
blance to the celestial beings the old artists so delighted in
pourtraying."

Reginald Selwyn ; or, Lights and Shadows of Lite-
rary Life. By Alex. H. P. Girvan. Saunders
and Otley.
After a perusal of the first few pages of Mr. Gir-
van's production, which posesses considerable merit,
it is impossible not to feel a strong desire to devour
the contents of the whole ; the reader is led on by
an irresistible impulse from chapter to chapter, so
great is the interest felt in the adventures of the
hero. The author avows in the preface that his
object in publishing the work is to strip the literary
profession of some of the absurd illusions with which
it is often invested by those who are ignorant of a
writer's struggles and vicissitudes, with the view
of inducing the young and ambitious not to relin-
quish certain and remunerative employment for
the precarious livelihood derivable from letters.
Reginald Selwyn is a young man of refined percep-
tions and cultivated mind. He has been brought
up under the fostering care of a friend of his de-
ceased father—a Mr. Merton, who, not succeeding
in his profession as an advocate, has retired to a
small secluded village on the sea coast. He has a
pretty daughter, called Cecilia, and it is almost
needless to add, that the two juveniles become ar-
dent lovers, and that their affection for each other
strengthens with their growth. An inward con-
sciousness of superior mental faculties, combined
with the applause which a maiden speech had
elicited in a discussion society, unfortunately in-
duced Selwyn to select the calling of an author for
his advancement in life ; and neither the persuasion
of his guardian nor the tears of Cecilia could alter
his determination.

So after many blessings from Mr. Merton, and
professions of endearment by Cecilia, he pro-
ceeds to London, buoyed up by the brilliant
prospect which he conceived would open to
him. He reaches that universal haven of
strugglinggenius, aftermany discouraging reverses
obtains literary employment at the magnificent
remuneration of 2/. a-week. Proud of his good
fortune, he visits his native village with the inten-
tion of claiming the hand of Cecilia but he finds
that he has been supplanted there by a beau from
town, a Mr. Villiers, who bears the reputation of
being rich and well connected. Selwyn returns to
London in the gloomiest of moods. The next
event in his life is certainly somewhat startling.
On his way to his lodgings one night he hears the
pitiable cry of a female—he runs down a squalid,
dirty street, inhabited by the refuse of the neigh-
bourhood, and there discovers an unfortunate
creature, who had been turned out of her lodgings,
being ill-used by a band of intoxicated and in-
furiated wretches. He releases her from their
grasp, and subsequently discovers that she is his
mother, whom he had long supposed was dead.
He rescues her from her degradation, and places
her under his own roof. To add to his misery he
is thrown out of employment. His mother adores
him with an intensity which is almost unnatural,
and, in order to relieve his anxiety, endeavours to
maintain both by the aid of her needle.
un-
easiness of mind, arising from a consciousness of
oi
atelho.cieredheatoltilill,
error which cannot be wiped away,
cessant labour, soonnfr
yieldeddene inroadse on
tns
tisrei
spirit.
world. He
iands theonee
mtleythsc)roown
is on the point of committing suicide, when fortune begins ttoo
hang smile the murky cloud that
had long ago written, and
almiorset.
He is present when foArgpotlateynt,hiast
ate-
cepted by the managerse of one of the West-end
tfihr u
t submitted
the production is
tmitted to the public ; it is successful, and
the author is called before the curtain ; but no
sooner does he
e make his appearance than the
Cecilia, a
audience
is startled
the who, being
oavlea•l:.lcyoineSbhye
is no other than Cec
swoons away recognition of her former lover,
away in one of the boxes. Selwyn
renews the intimacy so long broken, and learns
that she became the wife of Mr. Villiers,
who sadly neglected her, and who had died from
the effects of dissipation, leaving behind him a small
property, which she inherited. It is needless to
sly that Selwyn and Mrs. Villiers become husbandto
have
and wife. His happiness appeared then
of brief
almost reached its climax ; but it was

duration. The lady dies, and Selwyn seeks to mint
his agonised feelings by engaging in a life of excite-
ment. The income of his wife having passed to
him, he enters Parliament, and becomes an eloquent
orator and practised debater ; and, enventiially, a
Minister of the Crown. His attainments make him
an object of attraction in the gay assemblies of the
aristocracy. Lady Emily Davenport, a beautiful
and rich widow, looks upon him with a more than
favourable eye, notwithstanding the claims of the
wealthy and titled lovers who throng around her.
Selwyn also secretly entertains a passion for the
fascinating widow, and by accident they become
aware of their mutual affection for each other. The
result, of course, is a matrimonial allianbe. Though
some may be disposed to think that the good for-
tune of the hero militates against the professed
object of the book, no one will deny that his trials
and misfortunes are enough to damp the most
ardent spirit, and to lay prostrate the most robust
frame. All those who would wish to get an insight
into the " ups and downs" of literary life, cannot
do better than peruse this last new novel.

Musical Directorg, Register, and Almanack, and
Royal Academy of Music Calendar, for 1853.
This is one of the most complete and comprehen-
sive little annuals which has come under our notice.
Addressed to and compiled for the musical world,
it
contains,
in a neat compact form, almost every
species of the information which can be useful or
interesting to the professional or amateur.
The most prominent of its contents are a history
of the Royal Academy of Music, with a list of all
its professors and associates, and of all the students
who have received their instruction in the institu-
tion, a list of musical societies throughout the
lkingdom, a register of music published during the
year 1852; and, finally, a list of all musical profes-
sors, musical instrument makers and music sellers
throughout the kingdom. Besides the usual feast
days and holidays, the calendar contains the dates
of notable musical events, and the births and deaths
of eminent distinguished men. Considerable in-
dustry has been evidently called for in the compila-
tion of such a mass of information, perfect and
i co-
pious in every branch ; and the arrangement s so
convenient, that reference can be made at once to
any point without the slightest difficulty. We
I have not the least doubt that this little work will
meet with the success it deserves, and that in course
of time it will become a perfect library of reference
in musical matters.