The Sun.
London, England, 1854-06-06 00:00:00

IVO ODM.T' S CARPET BAG.

Of quite a different class of amusements than those just
noticed, Mr. Woodin's " Carpet-bag and Sketch-book" is
running a very successful race for public favour with some
more imposing rivals. As the life of such an exhibition as
this is novelty, so Mr. Woodin, to gain fresh laurels from
his Whitsun visitors, has added several new characters and
other novelties to his previous performances. Mr.Woodin's
extraordinary dexterity in changing the appearance of hi
" outward man," and representing in rapid succession a
great variety of different characters, is really something
bordering on the marvellous.

VISIT OF THE KING OF PORTUGAL TO THE TOWER.
—Yesterday afternoon his Majesty the King of Portugal,
accompanied by his brother, the Duke of Oporto, paid a
visit to the Tower of London. The Royal party arrived
in three of the Queen's carriages, Lord de Tabley, lord
in Waiting to her Majesty, and Colonel Wyld, equerry to
Prince Albert, being in attendance upon the illustrious
visitors. They were received by the Lieut.-Governor
of the fortress, Col. Wyndham, and Viscount Jocelyn,
the commanding officer of the regiment of Militia Es-
sex Rifles quartered in the garrison. The visit was kept
quite private, and although the interior was crowded
with holiday folks, the presence of the youthful king
was not known except to those immediately connected
with the garrison. Mr. Ramage, the yeoman porter,
conducted the Royal party through the Horse Armoury,
Jewel-house, and over the ramparts ; his Majesty pay-
ing marked attention to the explanations which were
rendered of the various objects of interest in the Tower.
After above an hour's stay, the Royal visitors took
their departure. We understand that they had pre-
viously visited the Thames Tunnel and the Docks.
Within the last few days, the Beaucamp Tower, one of
the westerly fortifications of the garrison, and formerly
one of the principal state prisons, which has recently
been restored to its original state, has been thrown
open to the public. Its walls are covered with devices
and inscriptions made by unhappy prisoners in former
times. Many of them are affecting memorials of un-
fortunate men who perished within the fortress. On
the recent visit of her Majesty a few weeks ago, the
restoration of this work appeared to excite much ate
tention.

THE NEW NATAL PAY AND PRIZE AcT.--Yester-
day this importont act, in reference to the present war,
which received the Royal assent on Friday, was printed;
It contains 14 clauses, and took effect from Thurs lay
last. The title is, "An Act for facilitating the Pay-
ment of her Majesty's Navy, and the Payment and
Distribution of Prize, Bounty, Salvage, and other
monies to and amongst the officers and crews of her
Majesty's ships and vessels of war, and for the
better regulation of the accounts relating thereto."
The object of this act is to give effect to certain pro-
clamations connected with the war. It is now enacted
that the proceeds of any prize are to bo paid to the naval
prize account, as well as all bounties and salvage. Par-
ties claiming the benefit of the act may resort to the
Court of Admiralty, which court may compel the pro-
duction of the proceeds of a prize. A penalty of II per
cent. is to be levied on persons retaining the proceeds of
a prize contrary to the act. There are several provisions
to allow in the Paymaster General's accounts, certain
sums without the production of vouchers. By the last
section but one the Lords of the Admiralty may, by
Order in Council, alter the mode of paying the navy,
and also distributing prize money, &c. The act is not
to extend to any seizures made by the officers of Cus-
toms, &c. The new law is to be cited as "The Naval
Pay and Prize Act. 1854."

LORD PALMERSTON ON PENMANSHIP.—The Home
Secretary has lately caused the following letter to be
addressed to the Secretary of the Privy Council Com-
mittee on Education :-- " Sir,—l am directed by Vis-
count :Palmerston to request that you will submit
to the Committee of Council on Education, for their
consideration, that one great fault in the system of in-
struction in the schools of the country lies in the want
of proper teaching in the art of writing. The great bulk
of the middle and lower orders write hands too small
and indistinct, and do not form their letters ; or they
sometimes form them by alternate broad and fine strokes,
which make the words difficult to read. The hand-
writing which was generally practised in the early par
and middle of the last century was far better than that
now in common use ; and Lord Palmerston would sug
gest that it would be very desirable that the attention
of schoolmasters should be directed to this subject, and
that their pupils should be taught rather to imitate
broad printing than fine copperplate engraving.—l am,
&c., H. WADDINGTON.—WhitchaII, May 24."
ARRIVAL OF TUE WILLIAM BRODERICK rnoit REVEL.
—On Saturday morning came up the river from Revel,
and brought up opposite Blackwall, the English vessel
William Broderick, whose long detention by the Russian
authorities has excited so much notice in Parliament,
and throughout the shipping and mercantile interest.
Like the Anne M'Alister at Cronstadt, the William
Broderick has been deprived of her English crew, and
a neutral one shipped in their place. It appears that
this step was adopted lest any useful information
should be given to the allied fleets in the Baltic
as to the state of the port, and the preparations
that were going on. The William Broderick has
been detained in Revel the whole of the winter,
but long before the ice had given
any symptoms of
breaking up, the captain and crew were taken out of
their ship by the military authorities, and removed to
one of the garrisons many miles in the interior, where
' they were kept some time. She was allowed to depart
under the command of a Danish master and an Ame-
rican crew, whose ship had recently been wrecked.
The English captain and crew of the ship have also ar-
rived in London during the week. They came by
Warsaw, Berlin, and Hamburgh ; and the owner of the
William Broderick states that the Russian authorities
had treated the men in a kind and liberal spirit, not-
withstanding what bad been written from Berlin or
Vienna to the contrary. The Anne M'Alister, from
Cronstadt, is also expected daily, manned by a neutral
crew.
INSOLVENCY OP JOHN PATRICK SOMERS, TEE LATE
MEMBER FOR SLIGO.—The late member for Sligo, Mr.
J. P. Somers, who has been for some time an inmate of
the Queen's Prison, has petitioned the Insolvent Debtors'
Court. His schedule was filed a few days ago. and on
Thursday an order for hearing issued for the 23rd inst.
before Chief Commissioner Law. The debts on the
schedule are 10,8231., and consideration has been re-
ceived for 0,837/. 17s. They extend over a. long period,
commencing from 1836, when he had 10,0001. worth of
property. It seems that there is 3,5001. in the Encum-
bered Estates Court in Ireland, the produce of property,
which will be distributed among certain judgment cre-
ditors in the schedule, and they will take no benefit
under this estate. Mr. Somers has an annuity of 601.
The causes of insolvency have arisen from the loss of
his property in the Encumbered Estates Court, and dto
the leases of part of his property expiring by the
ef the person on whose life he held them..
Anothern death
s
cause of his appearance before the court,
F"rmtohe veryB3
heauy electioneering expenses he bad paid, 7
to 1853 the electioneering expenses, it appears, were
5,5001., and in addition the loss sustained by the.. sale of
the property in Ireland and the lease extpoirm3ws.e
6,5001. Mr. Somers states that fromlB4B his
election expenses wereaboonutth3e,ooo/.
renewal eofhbaidlls paidof
ex-
change.for
some time large
bonuses
There are only 43 creditors on the schedule,
and it is understood there is a prospect of tLeir being
paid. if