The Sun.
London, England, 1847-02-04 00:00:00

1841.
3

it does not even touch upon the merits of the different
sections of christendom or eulogise any one of them at
the expense of the rest. Dr. Vinet regards Chris-
tianity in an aspect truly sublime—apart from every-
thing conventional. He appeals to the hears of ail
christendom, he considers the Church cstablishcd by the
fishermen of Palestine in its comprehensiveness, not in its
exclusiveness. His writings speak at once to the imagi-
nations and judgments of all the believers in christittnity
without distinction. The very mysteriousness of hip
theme does not involve his lucubrations in mystery ;
his ideas are clear and distinct, and he expresses them
in the most limpid dictiop. Of the generous characr
of the volume then is no necesii'y to speak, seeing that
we can refer the reader at once to the chapters entitled
" Power of the Feeble" and the "Box of Ointment." "Vital
Christianity" is altogether a singular composition ; but
its moral objects—namely reconciliation and incitement
—are eminently good.

MUSIC.
TILE MUSIC BOOK. Part IV.
This number contains two pieces of music by Mrs.
G. A. a Beckett (one a beautiful duet, from the opera
of The Young Pretender, the words of which are from
the pen of Mark Lemon); one song by 13alfe, words
by Barry Cornwall ; a song by Romer, words by
Mark Lemon ; and a set of quadrilles by Tully.
These names are alone sufficient to prove the spirit
with which this excellent musical periodical is con-
ducted. This, the fourth part, fully sustains the high
fame which the work has already acquired.

THE ANNEXATION OF CRACOW.
PROTEST OF THE PEOPLE OF CRACOW.
We, inhabitants of the town and territory of the little
republic of Cracow, being unable to resist force or to es-
tablish our just rights, are reduced to the necessity of
resorting to the stratagem of anonymous writing in order
to communicate to the world, our protest, and to make
known the truth, so atrociously perverted by those who,
having power in their hands, need not employ calumny
and falsehood against the victim whom, after long tor-
ments, they have finally sacrificed. We consider it the
more our duty now to protest, inasmuch as our feeble
state is exposed to the same intrigues, the same perfidies,
the same wicked drama which was performed at the
downfall of our great country in 1773, 1793, and 1795.
We shall confine within the inmost recesses of our hearts
the expression of the sentiments which pervade us—a
mere exposition of facts will be most eloquent.
Fur some years past our independence has been, in
fact, completely destroyed ; .our president, the Abl e
Schindler, was an officer in the employment of Austria,
so also was the Chief of the Police; the head of our clergy,
the Able Letowshki, is appointed by Russia, and to
that Government he is entirely devoted. The soldiers of
our militia are all obtained from the Austrian army, and
the officers are all German, selected from the troops of
the three Governments called our " Protecting Powers."
We have a D.ctator, who, though keeping in the
shade, is nevertheless the more powerful and
active. He is the Austrian President, who concen•
tratee all the authority in himself. Such is the rigour
of the police and of the censorship of our protectors,
that not only in Gallicia and the kingdom of Poland
properly so celled, but even in our unlieppy provinces
of Lithuania, Volliynia, Podolia and the Ukraine,
travelling and printing are more free than in
our republic. Our political existence was strictly re-
duced to the liberty of commerce, to the privilege of
coining money, to exemption from recruiting, and to the
use of our language in the acts of the Government, as
well as in the schools and in the university. Enthralled
as we have been, how can we have merited the charges
set forth against us in the manisfesto published on the
day of our incorporation with Austria, and in articles
in the German journals preceding and fidlowing that
incorporation. It is false that our city aver was
a focus of revolution, and that arms and warlike
ammunition have been collected there. It is also
false that it has been a place of meeting for the emissa-
ries of zany propaganda ehatever, as our pretended pro.
tectors allege. As to the part taken by this little State
in the attempted insurrection in February last, the fol-
lowing is a recapitulation of the facts :
Apart of the Polish emigration—its least numerous
portion, the least prudent and the least patriotic, but
that portion which had always been the most busy and
violent—wished at all risks to organise an insurrection
in Poland in the course of the year 1846. The par-
tisans of this movement unfortunately succeeded in
drawing into their scheme a considerable number of the
inhabitants of the Grand Duchy of Posen, and some of
Gallicia. The Russian Government speedily became
acquainted with this conspiracy, and resolved
to make it serve its own purposes. Russia
immediately sent to Cracow an exciting agent,
Edward Donibrouski, a man of great energy and activity,
and one well calculated to give extension to the conspi-
racy, and to organise it in the most demagogic style.
His energy and skill had more success in Gallicia than
with us, where he was only able to seduce a small
number of individuals. The Austrian Government,
though perfectly aware of the proceedings of the con-
spirators, took care not to disturb them ; it seemed, on
the contrary, to wish that the conspiracy should not
be defeated before it reached maturity. What could
be the motive of this? What was the motive of Russia?
This time will some day disclose. At length, on the
18th of February, the first movement for carrying the
plot into effect was made near 'ramie*, in Gallicia.
Cracow was perfectly tranquil. But this tranquillity was
not of long duration ; for the Austrian General Collin
immediately arrived and took possession of the city. He
entered at the head of two battalions of infantry, three
squadrons of light horse, and three pieces of artillery ;
and, to his own force, he joined our militia, amounting to
about 500 men. The inhabitants received notice that they
were not to quit their houses ; that doors and windows
were to be kept close,l ; that the patroles were ordered to
tiro on any one who might come out at a door or look
out at a window; and that all the windows were to
be lighted throughout the night. This last was
an effectual precaution fcr preventing the inha-
bitants from moving about, or peeping furtively into
the streets. Two men and three women, who were
impelled by hunger to venture out in quest of food, were
killed by musket shots. During the sight some pla-
toons were firing on the Grand-square, and in the ad-
joining streets. This firing was returned by a party of
police spies and some Jews, poSted in a place of conceal-
ment. A tavern-keeper, named Wogt, and some pet-
sons who were in his house, being deceived by this trick,
fired from the windows some musket-shut on the mili-
tary, several of whom were killed and wounded. A
farmer of the environs of Cracow, named Bela, also
thought the combat a real one, and, followed by his farm
servant, rushed out and attacked a post of light cavalry,
killing one of the soldiers and dispersing the rest. He
then dismounted from his horse, to collect the arms of
the fugitives, and whilst thus engaged he was himself
killed by some infantry, who at that moment arrived.
These two men (the farmer and his servant) were the
only enemies whom General Collin had to encounter iu
the streets of Cracow. Nevertheless the repeated firing
of the platoons was kept up, and the old walls of our
city were shaken by discharges of cannon. On the
night succeeding the third day after his entry, the Ge-
neral furtively quitted the city, and proceeded to Pod-
gone, having caused the resident ministers of the Three
Powers and the principal member of our Government to
precede his arrival thither. He took away with him
all our militia, without leaving a man to guard the pri
sons. Thanks to the precautions which had been
adopted, two hours elapsed before any one dared venture
into the street, and consequently before there could be
any certain knowledge of the retreat of the Austrians.
Never was astonishment equal to ours when we found
that the Austrians had fled, that no one was in pursuit
of them, and that we were left without either govern-
ment or militia. But astonishment was doubled when
in the guard-houses of the Grand-square, and in the
Dominican church, arms and ammunition were disco-
vered which had been left behind by the Austrians.
General Collin had retired to Podgorza, a suburb of
Cracow, subject to Austria, and which the Vistula (very
narrow in that part) separates from the town. The only
communication between Podgorza and Cracow is by a
pontoon bridge, which opens in the middle to admit the
passage of trading boats, and which is entirely removed
on the occurrence of great swells of the river. Some of
the populace having made sure of the retreat of the Aus-
trians, took advantage of the darkness of the night to
remove some of the boats which support the bridge, so
as to cut off all communication. General Collin fired
upon these people, though it was evident that they had
no intention of passing the bridge for any hostile pur-
pose. Next morning the General gave the order for re-
tiring, and though there was not the shadow of an
enemy, either before or behind him, yet he did not halt
until he arrived at Wadowice, the chief town of the cir-
cle of that name, situated about 14 leagues from Cracow,
on the road to Vienna. At Cracow, meanwhile, the
first interval of stupor being passed, measures were taken
for the maintenance of order and public safety. A pro-
visional guard was formed and. p 1 teed under the com-
mand of Count Joseph Wodziske a veteran of 72 years
of age, whose Conservative opinions admitted of no
question, for the Count never took any part in any of the
revolutions which agitated his country during his long
life. Suddenly a party of young men were observed
going about from house to house, announcing that the
nation had formed a government, and had placed at its
head a man named Tyssowski, an obscure individual,
totally unknown in Cracow, where he had been only for
the space of a fortnight, and then for the first time in his
life. This man had always lived either at Lemberg or
at Vienna ; and no ono knew by what means he had
been elevated in the space of a few hours to the head of
of the government. Be that as it may, the public were,
at one and the same time, made acquainted with the cre-
ation of a dictatorship and the name of the dictator. An
army of from 300 to 400 men was hastily assembled,
and with part of this force it was determined to make a
reconnoissance in Gallicia. The bridge was crossed,
and at Podgorza some ammunition was found which had
been left behind by General Collin. At Wisliezka some
provisions were found. Some leagues further on, at the
village of Godow, on the road to Lember, the advance
guard of the little army of Cracow was unexpectedly
attacked by Colonel Benedik, the chip of the staff of
the general in command of Gallicia. The colonel was
at the head of a party of infantry and cavalry, followed
by a troop of drunken peasants, blind instruments of
murder and pillage, misled, excited, and paid by the
Austrian authorities. After a brief resistance, the Cra-
covians retired in hurried disorder to Cracow, leaving
behind them twenty or thirty killed, and upwards iit
eighty prisoners, whom the soldiers and peasants of Col.
Benedik coolly murdered in the most barbarous manner
in front of the inn at Godow, during a brandy-drink irg
orgie. Colonel Benedik and Ge3eral Collin then
marched back to Podgorza, where,
after the lapse of a
few days, the General, hearing of the approach of the
Russians, and losing all hope that the pi asantry and the
populace of Cracow and its territory would imitate the
atrocious excesses of the peasantry of the circles of tar-
now and Bothnia, resolved on entering Cracow. It is
but just to render a tribute of commendation to our

people, inhabitants of the town as well as of the countr
places. Though instigated by incendiary speeches, an
the example of their neighbours, though completely left
to themselves, they were not guilty of the slightest ex-
cess. In their march into Gallicia our volunteers ob-
served the strictest moderation, not only to their coun-
trymen, but also towards the Germans, and even
towards the officers of the Austrian Government.
Person and property were everywhere respected ;
General Collin, less serupuleus, promised his soldiers
a day of liberty, as he called it, that is to say, a
day devoted to the sacking and destruction of Cra-
caw. But God hari pity on us, and averted the commis-
sion of this hideous crime. The Russians, who were not
expected to arrive before three days, marched with a de-
gree of speed which outstripped all calculations, and their
light cavalry entered Cracow several. hours before the
Autriaes. They were received as deliverers, and such
they really were ; for General Collin, wishing to attract
numbers to the city, had spread the report that it was to
be given up to pillage. The arrival of the Russians has
established order, rendered all pretext of taking by
assault, and consequent plunder, absurd. This com-
pletely defeated the projects of General Collin, who now
commands, as he before did, his troops at Wadowiee,
where he has received the approbation of, and has also
been well paid by, 16s Government. The rest of our his
i
tory is well known. The above is a true narrative of
the conspiracies of our protectors against their unfortu-
nate protege. Alarmed by the phantom of Polish liberty,
Austria thought she could escape from her terror and
remorse by annihilating at a single blow what she re'
gards as a living reproach of her sin against Poland''
namely, the republic of Cracow and its wealthy
in Gallicia. As to our people—victims of the most un-
heard of political iniquities, deliv,red, without defence:
into the most ferocious and perfidious hands, we mils.
submit without murmuring to the decrees of ProvideProvidence.We await until time and the aid of generous Wien.°
shall avenge our wrongs. and call into action that 111.1$
within us which seems to acquire new strength in pro"
portion to the efforts made to extinguish it. patriots

SOMETHING ABOUT BULLION.
Bullion is, commonly understood to be a generic tern*
for uncoined gold or silver, in bars, plate, or ether
masses; but by the Bank the name is used to elphrnl
both coined and uncoined metals. The word ‘• bullion f
first became familiar to English ears when an "order 0
Council " was issued that the Bank should discontinn„
the 'redemption of its notes with specie from 1797 tv
1826, when specie payments were resumed—by a fl 8;
vious law the Bank was authorised to redeem its 110,„
n fineness'
The uncoined gold and silver, according to its fineoe3,-
The bullion off s 1
ice of the Bank of England is in a part
„"
the original Bank structure erected in 1734. It 03".
sits of three spacious apartments—a public roll
for business transactions, a vault for the p
deposits, also one for the private stock of tut,
Bank. Superintending these are a principal, delnitA
principal clerk, assistant clerk, and a number
porters, the government of the entire bank being ullar,
a governor, directors, and their subordinates. The alive'
deposits in the bull ion-office consist chiefly in oblong
" pigs" from South America, and smaller semi globular
masses from Valparaiso—the former weighing, On $f
average, 651bs Bee silver, also from South Arnerici, n
a finer quality—Plata Petra, or Rock Silver, a name
given to silver, that is not in a consolidated or nfr„"ji
pletely metallic state. Sycee silver—a name with w°l."
the public has become perfectly familiar since the receipt
of Celestial ransom money from China. Sycee, strictl
rendered, means "fine silk "—but is also construallite
fine silver, that which has been properly purified.
proper Chinese term for it is Winyan, and the ave!egi,
quality is said to be 13 dwts. better than British
standard. It contains an average of 12 grains gold nir
pound troy. The ingots, or shoes of this silvej
are stamped with the name of the assayer 1n.1,1
reigning Emperor, the year and month when assaYri;
also with the words " assayed and cast," whplegs
signifies that the silver is of the proper finen'is
and purity. Spanish dollars—these are brought to tis,
bank in immense quantities packed in kegs acd barreb
They are then assorted and put in sacks of 1,000 eao
weighing 211bs. These are piled in stacks of 200 ea
in the bullion vault. Following these are AlellF,11,o0:
Brazilian, Peruvian, Bolivian, and North Awerl-10
dollars in lesser quantities. Dollars brought by'tar
bank are melted and refined at the establishment
rs',
"Brown and Wingrove," Wood-street, Cheapside, whe4
rare specimens of " bogus " are sometimes found.--5:,
the Sycee is always sent to Cc Mint. Native sdeero.
this is now procured in several of the northern Ono
ties, especially in the Northumberland lead coine9'
has a place in the vaults. It is stated that -r-an.,iatae
products enough native silver to manufacture ,n`^id
ie
plate made in London within any given period. Gold
0.
almost exclusively obtained by the bank in bars or --
weighing about 161b5., valued at 800 i. No form' b slabs
ever, of the precious metals is rejected, these are
understood to be the general arrangement of die bail',
Nei., York Sun.

Madame Bishop has been drawing excellent
at Liverpool in Balfe's opera of The Maid Arr. bas just
NEW WORK ON PORTUGAL.—A vr°,r_een with a
appeared, entitled " A Journey Overland to le from
3.:;"hich is
Picture of the Actual State of Spain and
the pen of the author of " Revelations
of
1-
pblic respecting
likely fully to gratify the curiosity of the .
nations. Th.
the present crisis in the affairs of these natiof
the
author's journey was performed during the height he
ferment occasioned by the Montpensier marriage, and
arrived at Lisbon on the very day of the outbreak of 'IL
late Revolution, of which he has given the history in
following the present civil war through all its incidents. "-
have here, for the first time, authentic revelations of Porto'
gal by one who has a perfect knowledge of that country'
derived from a previous residence in it of six years, duni
which time he enjoyed the best position for securing corn
icformation relative to all that took place at Court, and
becoming acquainted with the movements of political °Tr
and parties. The whole history of the Montpensier 1.70
riage, and the international law which it violates, is g,o,
in the chapters on Madrid, where the question is more it' of
discussed than it has hitherto been ; and to a num_beltde
curious anecdotes, and much secret history connected Wash
both Courts, the author adds personal sketches of the t ,nb.ell,
Families, and of every leading man in Spain anil.Por"4"
taken from the life.
THE TRENT STEAMER.—SOUTHAMPTON, FRB'
A meeting of the directors of the Royal West India lito
Packet Company is about to be held here to inveetigate„o
cause of delay of the Trent steamer upon her recent a `
home between Havannah and Jamaica from want 01
On the third.day after leaving Havannah it was tiscov
;,.i
the coal would not last out to take them safe to le-ne-teitl
when orders were given for the fore-orlop deck, sPerti;gonla
empty casks to be cut up, but finding this addition
about
not be sufficient, the captain ordered the ship to Put food
to a piratical island called Grand Caiman's, where theYeasia
a cargo of wrecked wood, of about 100 tons. The eqteeSt
then sent on shore fifty of his crew, who, with the Iti'd far
cut 300 tens of wood, consisting of ebony, logwood, antis fee,
tick. The captain paid 2.f. per ton besides heavy vi,es and
labour. Three days were consumed at this operatie"'were
one day in cutting it afterwards into junks—many iueln thie
compelled to take to their berths from over fatigue- thole'
island the inhabitants live by wrecking. It was once
sidence of the notorious pirate Captain Mitchell.
ISO
DEATH OF SIR VALENTINE BLAKE.—A fsir
received in town this morning, announcingg the death °ow
Valentine Blake, Bart., whose resignation of the repres,cjeco
tion of Galway has led to the contest which is to take P
in that borough.—Dublin Paper of Monday. is
PRICE OF GOLD.—The premium on gold at rar
10 per mille, which, at the English Mint price of ' of
1014 d. per ounce for standard gold, gives an exchangejog
25.40; and the exchange at Paris on London at short part
25.32 k, it follows that gold is 0.30 per cent. dearer is;at
than in London. By advises from Hamburgh the price
is 431 per mark, which, at the English Mint price of 31 et Of
10%d. per ounce for standard gold, gives an exchalliort
13.8; and the exchange at Hamburgh on London at
being 13.41, it follows that gold is 1.53 per cent. dearer
Hamburgh than in London.
Of ill'
THE BLESSINGS OF ETHER.—A variety -- ft/
stances have lately been recorded in the public journals,d,
which severe surgical operations have been per/015e
without the -patient having the consciousness of Poe
The principle seems capable of being extended I,:de te
farther. A few days ago, Professor Simson stet
ess,
his class, that he had practised with entire sueceteti
the inhalation of sulphuric ether in a case of the
most difficult form of labour, and where otherwise eit,
sufferings of the patient would undoubtedly have beeetetele
treme. The mother was lame and deformed. A remar"es,
circumstance pointed out in the case by Dr. Simos°llooes
that, whilst breathing the ether, the labour pains or t fog
continued, and yet the mother (to speak paradoxicailYil
r'teiS
no pains. This is, we believe, the first instance in which
new and extraordinary agent has been employed in the
tice of midwifery.—Caledonian Mercury. lrOrig
MENDELSSHON.— I yesterday" (says n New „osel,
publication) " visited Mendelsshor, the celebrated eOlll,
Having heard some of his music this winter, part:cf.-ea to
that magnificent creation, the Walpurgisnacht, I sv,s'i
that
obtain his autograph before leaving, and sent a note for
purpose. He sent a kind of note in answer, adding 3 ChiSri
out of the Watpurgisnacht from his own hand. After t Ile
could not repress the desire of speaking with hi,;11.00%
received me with true German cordiality, and on load to
I was an American, spoke of having been iev7,ivited
attend a musical festival in New York.
:-eie et
me to call on him if lie happened to be in Le'Peolto
Dresden when we should pass through, and
seen!.
particularly of the fine music there. I have rarelY„
man whose countenance bears so plainly the ster.eregioll
genius. He has a glorious dark eye, and Byron's eNPrieteli
of a 'dome of thought' could never be more apPr°Palt, the
applied than to his lofty and intellectual forelle by the
marble whiteness and polish of which are heightened the
raven hue of his hair. lie is about forty years of ontoage'g•
noon of his fame, and the full maturity of his ewhiell
Already as a boy of fourteen he composed an oeerefii, first
was played with much success at Berlin ; he is nowtheeels'living composer of Germany. Moses Mendelssohn, 'ntid
brated Jewish philosopher, was his grandfather; 7,,tith be
father, now living, is accustomed to say that in his )"„eee he
was spoken of as the son of the great Mendelssohh
is known as the father of the great Mendelssohn
inquest
REMOVAL OF THE POOR.—Yesterday an inqu.`cernilig
held by Mr. Baker, at the Queen's Head, Poplar, coLonths,
the death of an infant named Louisa Banner, aged I° 'La.! to
who died on board a Gravesend steain-boat, on hereesete It
Blackwell. Tile inquiry excited considerable inter mother
appeared the child was illegitimate, and was with the
he birth;
removed to St. Martin's Workhouse soon after „age,'
They remained there for two months, when they were i;ta S
,
by an order of removal to Chatham, where they, re Auer re-
short time, and were sent back to St. Martin se
,fii eves
maining there two months, another order of ren.l°,%,chat:
obtained, and the mother and child were sent back
awe „ail
ham for a second time. They remained at ChattraTi "with
the 23d ult., when the mother was directed to ret rt,lroes-
her child to Westminster again. She proceeded to The
end by the coach, and there embarked on a steamer
d to be
day was very cold and damp, and the child appeare
labouring ruder severe illness on leaving Ohathainc.eru-Zoe
riving at Blackwell it was found to be dead. A
s.ated
from the surgeon at Chatham was Pn'thiCed'
wluh
that the infant could not be injured by the journey,e vest'
who mao
proper care. Mr. Bain, surgeon, of Poplar,
2noetem examination of the body, said that its deatha_
.7' sore
celerated by exposure to cold on the journeY,a. P"it
other witnesses confirmed the statement, and said tua
return
mother to undertake suchretiime-
highly improper for the
while the child was in the state it wag. The jciler3tl from Dr
the following verdict That Louisa Banner a an
was not In t".
tural causes • and added that the child
proper state 'to be removed.