The Sun.
London, England, 1841-12-03 00:00:00

TROOPS FOR CHINA.

PORTSMOUTH, DEC. I.—This afternoon the remaining
portion of the troops ordered to embark at this port for
China, consisting of 420 men of the 26th, and 110 of the
55th Regiments of Foot, arrived here. They left Win-
chester at a few minutes before eleven o'clock in a special
train of twenty-four carriages, drawn by the Atlas en-
gine. At the railway terminus they were met by the
Commander-in-Chief of the district, Major-General Sir
H. Pakenham, attended by some of his staff, and by the
Brigade-Major, Colonel Daly, Colonel Love, of the 73d,
and several other officers. Immediately upon forming they
marched, headed by the band of the 73d, to the Royal
Clarence yard, whence they were conveyed by a steamer on
board her Majesty's ship Apollo. A great number of per-
sons were assembled to witness their arrival and embarca-

tion. The whole of the the troops intended to be con-
veyed from this port by the Sapphire and Apollo are now
I on board, 800 strong, consisting of detachments of the
18t, 26th, 49th, and 55th. Most of them are quite
young men, and will prove a valuable acquisition to the
service companies of their respective regiments now in
China. The officers who command them are Lieutenant
Colonel Bartley, 49th Regiment ; Captain Rose, 55th ;
Lieutenant Herriot, 55th ; Ensigns Piper, Dickens, De
Quincy, and Skinner, of the 26th ; and Staff-Surgeons
Ford and Fennell. These officers go out in the Apollo,
and the following in the Sapphire :—Major Pasley,
49th ; Lieutenant Duff, 26th ; Lieutenant Magrath,
55th ; Ensigns Glasbrick, 49th ; Elliot, 18th ; and lay-
man, 18th ; and Staff Assistant-Surgeon Marshall.
They will sail to-morrow, and will go round to Ply-
mouth, where they will join her Majesty's ship Bel-
leisle, which carries out Lord Saltoun and the 98th Re-
giment, and some of the Artillery. The three ships will
then proceed in company on their voyage to China, car-
rying out together an effective force of about 2,000
men. Many women and children have alio embarked.

in the course of a few days a case of breach of
promise of marriage, of a singular and extraordinary
character, will be brought before the Court of Queen's
Bench. Briefs, almost unprecedently voluminous, have
been placed in the hands of the Solicitor-General (Sir
W. Follett) and Mr. Platt, with a fee of 150 guineas
each, for the plaintiff ; and to Mr. Thesiger for the de-
fendants with a similar fee. Junior Counsel are engaged
on both sides, with proportionate fees. The fair plain-
tiff, who is beautiful and highly accomplished, but who
has been some seven or eight years out of her teens,
resides in the vicinity of Hampton Court ; the defend-
ant is an octogenarian, a gentleman of wealth and
professional eminence, and resides in one of the fa-
shionable squares in the metropolis. The damages
are laid at 5,0001. The defendant pleads that he never
promised, but that if he did he has given several
sums of money in satisfaction. The venerable defendant,
who in one of his letters describes himself as being con-
stitutionally in all respects equal to a man of thirty,
has paid attentions to the lady for a period of nearly four
years, during which period he has written nearly 700
letters, of a most extraordinary description, but clothed
in language of superior eloquence. Their contents, how-
ever, strongly indicate that the writer's love was subject
to uncommon fluctuations, as while at one period they
would breathe vows of eternal constancy, at other times
they were imbued with theological subjects, and their
love would be termed celestial, and the lady would be
compared to an angel ; in the former case the love would
be termed terrestrial, and prospects of a happy union be
held out, as also observations made relative to the regu-
lation of the household; from this the style would change
to one of a frigid character, and then the defendant
woule describe himself as her platonic lover. In these
various fluctuations had the greater part of the time
been occupied, until at length the defendant thought
proper
,to withdraw himself wholly from the plaintiff's
society, to discontinue visiting Hampton, or of continuing
to write those singular but elegant epistles, and ulti-
mately wholly ceased to correspond with the plaintiff.

AN IRISH CHRISTENING.--011 Monday the
christening of an infant, only one month old, was cele-
brated in a colony inhabited by the poorer classes of
Irish, called Prujean's-island, Wapping, and ended in a
very serious manner. Some of the party got fighting,
and many more got drunk, in which state they threw
themselves upon a bed on which the child was laid, and
suffocated it. Medical assistance was called in, but too
late to save the babe, which is to be waked by the same
party who inadvertently caused its death.
THE ROYAL CHRISTENING.—The baptism
of the infant Prince, it is rumoured in circles likely to
be well informed, will not take place until February,
immediately after Parliament assembles. In confirma-
tion of this rumour we have reason to believe the in-
structions received at the Earl Marshal's office, where
all such State ceremonials are arranged, are not of that
urgent nature as if the ceremonial were to take place this
month. The ceremony will be performed in town.
FIRE AT HATHERSAGE OLD HALL.---
This venerable mansion had a narrow escape from de-
struction on Friday night last. Mr. Shuttleworth, the
proprietor, was from home, and the servants had retired
to rest, when they were aroused, shortly after midnight,
with cries of fire. The discovery was madebya
neigh
hour passing at the time, who saw the blaze in the ser-
vants' hall. Alarm being given, prompt assistance was
afforded, and the fire was got under withcomparative
ease, though not without the destruction of thew
modern
herins
apart-
ment. Its safety is mainly attributable to the
circum-
stance of the hall being built of " heart of oak,,,h
less inflammable than the materials used in more
erections, and which must have for some time resisted
the flames. As it is, there was no injury beyond the
alarm, and the loss sustained will be inconsiderable.—
Derby Majesty's troop-ship Sapphire sailed from
liepoeHer rtr
Quebec, the 9th ult„ with invalids from the different
corps in Canada, consisting of 9
The following officers ar w
91 rank and file, 9 convicts, 14 sergeants,
omen, and 210drcrldinreeiri.,
Oldfield, Royal Engineers passengers:—Lieut.-Colonel
Coldstream Guards; ; Lieut.-Colonel J. Hope,
Foot
(medical eodficiainveahliadrsg)eA?ssiint-Surgeon Drummond, 14th
Lieutenant Breton, 70th Foot
camp, to join depot. • Lieutenant Baker, 73d, aide-de-
Intelligence reached us late last evening from
an authentic source, of the death of Lady Pilkington,
of Dedham Grove, relict of Sir Thomas Pilkington,
,sister of
Bart. and John Jolliffe Tufnell, Esq., of Lang-
leys, Great Waltham.—Chelmsford
Chronicle of to-day.
TROOPS IN BRITISH AMERICA.—The Bri-
tish troops stationed in this country on the Ist of Sep-
tember last were as follows :—lst Regiment Dragoon
Guards, 7th Hussars, 2d battalion Grenadier Guards,
2d oattalion Coldstream Guards, 2d battalion Ist Foot,
14th, 23d, 32d, 43d, 54th, 56th, 67th, 70th, 71st, 74th,
83d, 85th, 88th, and 93d Regiments of Infantry, and the
Royal Canada Rifle Regiment.
A • Young Men's Anti-Monopoly Association is
intended to be formed in this town. The energies of the
many intelligent young men in this neighbourhood
ought to combine to hasten the destruction of those
monopolies which now press so fearfully upon the com-
mercial prosperity of our country.—Nottingham Review.
SHEERNESS.—Two of the Lords Commissioners
of the Admiralty arrived at Sheerness from London on
Thursday, and on :the following day inspected very mi-
nutely the various departments in the Royal dockyard.
It is generally believed that their visit and inquiries have
reference to the late conflagrations in the public depart-
ments, with a view to the adoption of measures to prevent
a recurrence of similar calamities.—Kent Herald.