The Sun.
London, England, 1854-10-31 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES,

Sir,—While Mr. Cunard assures us that the steamers
bearing his name carry boats of the Parliamentary num-
ber and standard, I am still wholly at a loss to under-
stand how these can on all occasions accommodate every
person in the ship, when, as I stated, on my voyage out
we numbered 273 souls, and the six boats could only
accommodate 210 persons.
It is perfectly true that I am no seaman, and there-
fore I took especial care to procure the best official in-
formation respecting the accommodation provided by
the six boats, and the time required to launch them, and
I would ask any one who has seen the manner in which
boats are stowed within the shrouds on the top of the
deck-house bottom upwards, and filled with vegetables
—hew, under even the most favourable circumstances,
they could be "launched, equipped, and manned in three
minutes ?" _

My own observation inclines me to believe that, as
the chief officer informed me, three-quarters of an hour
would be required to launch each of these boats.
A reference to my letter will show that I did not call
upon Parliament to " punish the owners of the Cunard
steamers." I gave unqualified praise to the officers of
the America, and confined myself to the publication of
the fact that on nay voyage to the United States the
boats were not sufficiently numerous or capacious to con-
tain the number of persons on board, and, as you truly
said in your leading article on the loss of the Arctic, it
is evident to the commonest understanding that no ship
should be allowed to go to sea under such circumstances.
Parliament may set up a standard of boat accommo-
dation for ocean steamers, but it should at the same time
limit the number of persons to be carried.—l am, sir,
your hutnbl6 servant, C. R. WELD,
Somerset-house, Oct. 30.

THE BAND OF THE FRENCH IMPERIAL
REGIMENT OF GUIDES.

WINDSOR, MONDAY NIGHT.

M. de la Verdibre, capitaine d'dtt-major, and Baron
Videl, an officer of the French Regiment of Guides. after
dining with the royal circle last night, slept at the Castle
as the guests of her Majesty: This morning, after break-
fast, they were . shown over the state apartments, and
inspected with deep interest the different arrangements
of the royal household. At 11 o'clock they proceeded
on lioreback, accompanied by Lord Alfred Paget (chief
equerry and clerk-marshal), and attended by two of the
royal grooms, to view the principal objects of interests
in the neighbourhood. The first visit was to the infantry
barracks, where their stay was very brief. They , went
next to the cavalry barracks, where they were received
by Capt. F. Sutton, of the Royal Horse Guards (Blue).
The colonel of the regiment (the Hon. Cecil Forrester,
M.P.) is absent on leave, and the lieutenant-colonel
(Colonel Howard Vyse, M.P.) was at Stoke Place, but
their places were well supplied by the officers in garrison,
who invited the distinguished strangers to luncheon at
two o'clock. The invitation was accepted, and then
the French officers, with Lord Alfred Paget, gallopped
off to the Long-walk, from which they diverged to take
a peep at the magnificent range of buildings erected on
Prince Albert's Home-park farm. Continuing their
ride through the Great Park, they halted at Cumberland-
lodge, to inspect the hunting stud belonging to the
Royal buckhounds. From thence they went to Vir-
ginia Water, and afterwards to the Ascot kennels. They
then returned to Windsor, and arrived at the Cavalry-
barracks just in time for lunch at two o'clock. The officers
of the Blues were joined by Major Spitty, the com-
manding officer o ithe Essex Rifles, and by other military
friends. The fine band of the regiment played several of
their best tunes on the lawn during the luncheon. Pre-
viously, however, to sitting down they went over the
stables, admired the horses, and visited some of the
men's rooms. Captain Sutton lad caused a troop cor-
poral-major, a corporal, and a private of the regiment
to be mounted in full marching order, so that the
French officers might see every minutiae of the uniform
and equipments, They expressed great admiration of
the horses, the men, and the whole of the arrangements.
At lunch, as a matter of course, the fraternisation of the
French and English officers was as complete as it was
sincere ; and Capt. Verdibre, of the Emperor Napoleon's
staff, left the Spital barrack-yard, accompanied by Baron
Videl and Lord Alfred Paget, when the band struck up
the French national air of " Partant pour la Syrie." The
compliment wan feelingly acknowledged by the strangers,
who waved their caps most enthusiastically. They
then proceeded at once to the Castle, and from thence
to the terminus of the South-Western Railway. While
there Mr. Madigan politely showed them over the
Queen's station, a building erected for the special ac-
commodation of the royal family, and most sumptuously
furnished, principally at the private expense of the late
Major-General Reid, who, at the time of his death, in
1852, was a leading director of the South-Western
Company, and one of the members for the borough of
New Windsor. Before the officers took their departure
(by the 4.30 train) Baron Videl, who speaks English
fluently, spoke most rapturously of the reception himself
and Captain Verdibre had experienced from the Queen
and Prince Albert. The baron also stated that the band
of the Guides would be competed to return to Paris on
Thursday or Friday next, and added his regret that his
stay in England would not be longer.

DUBLIN CIISTOMIL—The Customs duties received at
this port last week showed an increase of 1,1301. over
the corresponding week of last year, the amount being
17,7001., against 16,570/. Paid on tea, 5,970/. ; Mus
covado sugar, 3,5311.; refired ditto, 329/. ; coffee, 931.;
wine, 2,172/. ; spirits 8571. ; tobacco, M 971. ; timber,
3501. ; and miscellaneous 624/. Total sum received
since 10th inst., 47,5621.; ,samq time in 1853,
46,0851.
increase, 1,4771,