The Sun.
London, England, 1849-01-08 00:00:00

4 4r*N- V2bitten

TATTERSALL'S—THIS EVENING,
Six o'CLocK.

Ch ESTER CUP.
35 to 1 agst Cossack
40 to 1 agst The Tartar
50 to 1 agst Chanticleer
50 to 1 egst Great Western.
50 to 1 agst Mrs. Taft
50 to 1 agst Blucher
66 to 1 agst Do-it-again
66 to 1 ag,-t Clermont
66 to 1 agst Keleshea
66 to 1 agst Fugleman

METROPOLITAN STAKES.
30 to 1 agst Executor
33 to 1 agst The Tartar
33 to 1 agst Lugar

DEBBY.
9 to 2 agst Flying Dutchman
12 to 1 agst honeycomb
30 to 1 agst Strongbow
33 to 1 agst Nunnykirk
40 to 1 agst The Knout
45 to 1 agst Elthiron
100 to I agst Thtingarth

FRANCE.

In the 12th burettu of the National Assembly a
discussion of a warm kind took place on Saturday,
relative to the right of the Assembly to pass the
organic law on public instruction. M. Danjoy com-
bated the right of the Assembly to do so, on the
ground of its mission being at an end with the pass-
ing of the Constitution. M. Achille Fould went still
farther. He said that he was well acquainted with
the sentiments of the majority of the electors of
Paris, and that they were decidedly averse to the
continuance •f the Assembly, whose indefinite pro-
longation they considered as an obstacle to the re-
establishment of confidence. He said he was so con-
vinced of the truth of what he stated, that he would
not take any part in an act which would prolong the
period of the exiatence of the Assembly.

NORTH AMERICAN MAILS.—The steam-ship Nia-

gara, Captain Eyrie, which would leave Boston on the
27th, and Halifax on the 29th ult., with the usual mails,
&c., is now on her twelfth day, consequently she may

he hourly looked for to arrive in the Alerley. With
this vessel the weekly communication from the American
side terminates for the season. The steamers will, how-

ever, during the prescnt and ensuing three months, be
dispatched twice a month alternately from New York
and Boston, calling at lialifax.—Liverpool Albion of

this day.
CLIOLIMA.—We regret to say that a case of sup-
posed Asiatic cholera has occured at Craigton, on the
Ross-shire side of Kessock Ferry. The victim was a
fisherman named Macgregor, who died this morning
(Wednesday), after an illness of about thirty-six hours.
Medical aid was called in on Tuesday afternoon, but not
until the sufferer was far beyond the aid of medicine.

Another case is believed to have occurred at the same
place, but no medical advice was called in. For some
time past a sanitary committee of the Town Council
has been at work, making every exertion to im-
prove the condition of the houses in the poorer
quarters of the town, and money was placed
at their disposal by the Town Council to assist the
work of cleanliness. By this means, we trust, many of
the predisposing causes have been removed. Yesterday,
at one o'clock, the medical practitioners met in the
Town-hall, at the request of Provost Simpson, and Bailie
Dallas, chairman of the Parochial Board, when a set of
precautions and simple instructions, in case of attack,
were drawn up, for publication, and will be circulated to-
day. It was the opinion of the medical men that clean-
liness of house and person, temperance, and good diet,
were the best preventatives, and that the very earliest
symptoms of derangement of bowels should be carefully
attended to.—We learn that a fatal case of cholera has
also occurred at Ardrishaig, on the line of the Crinan
Canal.—lnverness Courier of Thursday. _ _ _

An entire stoppage has been put to the further pro•
gress of the railway bridge over the Tweed, at Berwick,
in consequence of the men in a body having refused to
work any longer for the contractors without wages. On
Saturday night the arrears amounted to nineteen weeks.
THE \VEATHER.—iIard frost has prevailed during
the week, and since Friday the lochs and ponds in this
neighbourhood have been crusted with ice sufficiently
strong to bear crowds of visitors. The frost has been
intense, and a crust of frozen dew gives to the scenery
the appearance of being covered with a thin coating of
snow. Rural work, as a natural consequence, has been
suspended; but the previous openness of the season has
permitted the farmers to make so much progress that the
interruption is of less consequence. Not only was the
sowing of winter wheat well got through, tut consider-
able preparation was made for the spring seed time; and
the benefit of a good hard frost at this season is always
evident in the succeeding months. During the last week
the nights have 'Rea peculiarly beautitul.—lnverness
Courier of Thursday.
THE WEATHER.—The wind continued to blow,

though gently, from the south-east up to Friday even
ing. On Monday a keen frost set in, and the cold in
creased in intensity during the succeeding two nights
till the ice on the ponds in this vicinity was in that firm
state which rejoices the hearts of skaters. On Thurs-
day evening some snow fell, and continued to descend,
though not thickly, throughout the night. On Friday
night the wind veered to the south, at which point it
has continued ever since, causing a slight elevation of
the temperature above the freezing point and a gradual
thaw. Should the wind, however, change to the east-
ward, wo may expect a return of frost, but as the baro-
meter last night was falling, it is probable that we shall
have an interval of damp or rainy weather. Over the
country, between hero and London, there have been
very heavy falls of snow. In the neighbourhood of
Preston, on Wednesday and Thursday last, the frost
was so intense that the Ribble was frozen over, a circum-
stance scarcely ever before remembered. The ice ,a as
so strong that hundreds of skaters recreated themselves
on its surface.—Liverpool Albion.
Slavery has been abolished at Cayenne. The
blacks assembled in thousands and thanked God sad the
governor for liberty.
Mr. Hill, barrister-at-law, of the Northern Circuit,
Recorder of Pontefract, died at Leeds on Wednesday,
of scarlet (even—Liverpool Albion.
Firing of property to an alarming extent has taken
place in the model province of Ulster. There can be
no question that it is the work of incendiaries. Landed
proprietors and extensive farmers have suffered severe
losses, and great alarm prevails. The origin is enve-
loped in deep mystery. We are not aware of any viola-
tions of tenant right have occurred to such an extent
as to be set down as the probable cause. Some evictions
have taken place; but even these would not palliate the
occurrence of the outrages. Until the cause is known,
it would be idle to speculate or comment. In the mean-
time the Government have proclaimed two districts in
the disturbed locality.—Ccrk Examiner.
His Excellency the Chevalier Bunsen left town on
Saturday evening en route for Berlin whither he has
been summoned by the King of Prussia to take part in a
conference on the Schleswig-Holstein question, as well
as to receive final instructions of the Prussian Govern-
ment as to the conduct of the negotiations about to be
resumed in London for the purpose of reconciling the
King of Denmark with his rebellious subjects iu the
Duchies. It is expected that the absence of his Excel-
lency will not exceed a fortnight or three weeks at the
utmost, and that his return will be the signal for a speedy
adjustment of this quarrel, which has so long wearied
the patience ,}f Europe.— Times.
TRAWL FisnlNG.—The Buckhaven fishermen,
who are well known for their industrious and ad-
venturous habits, have latterly fitted out seventeen
of their boats with trawl nets, and it is grati-
fying to learn they have been fortunate to discover
a large shoal of plaice, a little eastward of Pitten-
weem. These fish weigh from 6to 8 pounds each, and
have been sold as low as 3d. Since the discovery was
made, fish amounting in value to several thousand pounds
sterling have been drawn from a narrow stripe of ground,
thus verifying the conjecture of Mr. Dempster, as to the
advantages of the trawl net.—Ross-shire Advertiser.
ILLICIT SPIRITS.—It is believed that 100,0001. a
year would not clear the duty on illicit spirits made in
the parish of Manchester.—Liverpool Mail.

MEMORANDA OF A MUSICIAN

BY GEORGE J. 0. ALLMANN.

" Notes, notes, forsooth, and noting!"
SIIAKI3PERE.

No. VI.

performance
HANDEL
In 1747-3-9 produced several oratolorrArisosesastiathhowaOsp e.pr
house, but they were lamentably unsuccessful and
ib
very ill-attanded. One evening before the rieinifb
curtain for Theodora, when the paucity of the audience
, in fact,
had dwindled down to the extremest
pleasantly as
ndt
hebigi
'et
dvbePleor:gflnteat eewrols:wetter!"
tickets felex:o-if
scarcely a dozen persons being
pressed a regret to the Compos;:n.
there. " Never mint," replied i 1
philosophicallja:ut,ep'de‘
tidsdouocurnh,aoa, osicwwoupaild s°l:cenetptates
who were not
deed he was rejoiced if anY
orders
000
fhsheehanai had
furore two two gentlemen h
admission. engaged i❑ the orchestra
t apt tpeini
applied
nt the
h im
offended Handel by DO
" your sTrfs.nt, h ren!
d u c"c:dh,e:n dt hcere6
previous oratorios, notwithstanding that
admission tickets, he
ehinader
vould not co to Theodore, der
them` a for
co dare von dat was perform!"
you
their request however.
teAu
feel),
ils"h rteationrttyetd!o
3;hoateuno,
uses room enough
lie generously acceded

ROSSINI.
It was a momentous day to Rossini when, on taking his
accustomed seat in the Conservatorio to receive Mattei's
matutnial instruction, that master of counter-point ad-
dressed his pupil, " Now that you can write in tour parts
we will proceed to a higher branch of study." "Do you
think I can write in four parts, Maestro?" inquired
Rossini. " Yes!" replied Mattei unhesitatingly, little
suspecting its result. " And that will be sufficient for an
opera, will it not?" further questioned the boy, to which
ho received a similar answer. " Viva," exclaimed Ros-
sini with exultation, " Addiol I am gone!" And the

voluble pupil of the renowned Mattei actually quitt
the Conservatorio the same afternoon.

HAYDN.

It was in his very small house, situate at one of the
ends of the Vienna suburbs, and in the solitude and
silence of his closet, that this celebrated German com-
poser laid down the plans, matured the ideas and even
the minutest details of his works. Alone with his piano,
scarcely receiving even a few intimate friends, from time
to time he continually meditated and--laboured! Visits
evidently seemed to vex him ; travelling Was odious to
him, and the slightest removal molested him, appearing,
so to speak, to check his inspiration—in fact, seclusion
was courted per se as the mode of assisting and develop.
ing the consummate genius with which Heaven bad
endowed him.

A MUSICAL INSECT.
We are told by Plutarch that when Terpander was
once performing upon the litiocp
(hence our " cittore
gittern), or lyre, at the. Olympic games, and had so ex-
cited his audience, that their delight had risen almost
a,
to absolute pain—the excess of joy becomes an agony—
a string of his lyre snapped suddenly, but, miraculous to
record, a grasshopper immediately hopped (only think!)
on to the bridge and, by its voice, supplied the loss of the
string. thereby saving the lame of the musician, because,
if he had hesitated or stopped only an instant during
his performance, the laws of the Olympia would have
denied him any, future opportunity of retrieving his
failure, and deprived him of all the honours he had
already won. A story so apocryphal, coming from sa
veracious an historian as Plutarch, exhibits a singular
instance of the credulity of the age. But we are told by
many of the ancient writers that the Athenians were
wont to confine these insects in cages, and denominated
them on account of their song, which they highly
prized, the nightingales of the nymphs. The male only
of the species, as in the instance of birds, possess the
gift of singing ; it is for this reason, therefore, that
Xenarcbus used to ascribe their happiness to their
having silent wives!