The Sun.
London, England, 1848-02-09 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON,

LITERATURE.

LETTERS OF MADAME LA DUCBESSE
LE PRASLIN. 1 Vol.
Exquisite as the correspondence of the unfortunate
Duchesse de Choiseul-Praslin is in itself—breathing
as it does the pure passion of a gentle, gifted, and
right womanly heart—we cannot but think that it is
by no means calculated for being the vehicle for afford-
ing instruction in the French language to children.
Not that the letters themselves are in any respect in-
differently written, for they are composed in the
truest idiom of the French tongue ; not that they
contain other than noble and exalted sentiments, sen-
timents such as any parent would rejoice to have
inculcated into the dispositions of his offspring; but
the whole correspondence is associated with the recol-
lection of a hideous and diabolical crime. The hook
smells of blood. Every page is reeking with the
breath of the assassin. Each sentence is tainted with
the after act cf a devilish and brutal murder. We
can scarcely open the volume without a shudder ; and
the likeness of the wretched and saintlike victim,
looking so calmly in the frontispiece, brings back to
remembrance that awful morning which dawned so
frightfully over Paris. The original idea of this
compilation was a mistake; the manlier in which the
letters have been grouped together, and the explanatory
notes arranged, is creditable to the skilful and practised
hand of M. Fenwick de Porquet. Of the murdered
Duchess, the editor truthfully remarks—" a touter les
virtus d'une excellente mere de famille, son excellent
ciaur joignait une charite toujours active et une bien-
faisance innepuisable." As the effusion of such a na-
ture these memorable letters must be received.

CLAIMS OF THE CHURCH OF ROME. By
the Author:of " Proposals for Christian Union."
Although the age of fierce and rancorous polemics
has not yet terminated, the present day is remarkable
for the prevalence of more genial and beneficent ideas
upon religion than the times of our forefathers. As
a fresh evidence of this improved spirit we welcome
the little volume before U 3, in which "The Claims of
the Church of Rome" are considered, with a view to
unity—and this, be it remarked, by one who is
manifestly no Papist. The writer was already
favourably known by his " Proposals for Christian
Union," and here in his second advocacy of the esta-
blishment of concord and true brotherhood among
Christians, he develops still more widely and vividly
the particular character of his aspirations. Quoting
from tke preface to "Eustace's Classical Tour," the
writer takes this sentence as his motto—" Reconcili-
ation and union are the objects of his warmest wishes,
of his most fervent prayers ; they occupy his thoughts,
they employ his pen ' • and if a stone shall happen to
m irk the spot where his remains are to repose, that
stone shall speak of peace and reconciliation." Who
will not join in these desires and sympathise in this
solicitude ?

A HANDBOOK OF ANGLING. By Ephemera.
Here we hare a substantial volume, goodly in bulk
and precise in explanation, inducting one into all the
pleasant mysteries of fly-fishing, trolling, bottom-
fishing, and salmon-fishing, giving one the natural
history of river fish, and more than hinting to us
" the best modes of catching them." To show that
the author is no tyro in the gentle craft, but on the
contrary a rare proficient, it is only necessary to
say that he is "Ephemera" of Bell's Life in London.
That is surely enough ; it is the reader's guarantee,
and the writer's diploma—proving him to be as com-
petent an authority anent the science of angling as
ever was Izaak Walton or Charles Cotton. The book
is a very encyclopaedia of information about inland
fisheries and inland fishermen. It assures us in 363
pages that Ephemera) was born when; the sun was
in Pisces ; and, if he be as good an angler in practice
as he is in theory, we should like uncommonly to
breakfast with him some fine morning when the trout
are more than usually disposed to nibble.

THE LAST DAYS OF O'CONNELL. A Series
of Papers written or edited by William Bernard

lifacca'be.
In this remarkable volume Mr. Maccabe has pro-
duced for posterity a record of the last moments and
the funeral obsequies of the greatest man of Ireland,
and one of the most extraordinary men of modern
times. In its way the work is altogether invaluable.
The materials of which it is compo,ed have already
risen from the ephemeral interest of news of the mo-
ment into the dignity of history. Besides giving us
a complete narrative of the death of the illustrious
and immortal Liberator, the compiler has enhanced
the book by incorporating with its contents the fune-
ral eloquence of Miley and Ventura. On the volume
reaching another edition, he will, of course, add to
these the forthcoming oration of Lacordaire. The
work is an enthralling memento of the statesman, the
oratcr, the champion, the patriot, and the Liberator,
O'Connell.

TO THE SECRETARY OF THE
BRADFORD REFORM ASSOCIATION.
Sir,—On Thursday Lord George Bentinck moved
fur a Select Committee to inquire into the condition
and prospects of the sugar and coffee-planting inte-
rests ; which, after being talked upon for two nights,
was passed without opposition or division in a thin
House at two in the morning.
Of course what is to be gathered is incidental rather
than direct. One of the earliest effects was to pro
duce from the Chancellor of the Exchequer a decla-
ration that the Government intended to make no
alteration in the sugar duties. It is amusing to see
how parties can change their tactics with their
interests. There was Lerd George Bentinck for
the West Indians, holding out what so far as
ioul I be judged at a distance, was a fac-
iimile of the broadside which in 1793 used
to be displayed in some part of the house in all reli-
gious families, representing negroes packed together
in the Ibld of a slave-ship. The West Indians abhor
the slave trade, as landlords do monopoly.
On Friday Mr. Disraeli contributed one of
those speeches, which forty years ago would have
made him a rising young man, but have so little
effect on the political machine in the pre-
sent generation. He pronounced the principle of
buying in the cheapest market to be that of retail
traders only; Upon which km moved to 'inquire,
whether you have any traders of so elevated an order
in Bradford, as to be disposed to admit the new
commercial principle. He wound up by calling
Manchester "the capital of commercial fallacy," as
being dark upon the truth as it is known in
Buckinghamshire; and sat down under cover
of a fire of Latin, apparently directed to conjuring
the Member for the West Riding into the Red Sea,
but which might have been taken from the Propria
gum inaribus, for any effect it produced upon the
obdurate Member or the House. So certain it is
that the springs of power have changed.
A more important question than whether sugar shall
be dear or cheap, is, what is to be the conduct of the
anti-slavery party. It is strongly to he feared, that if
it had been left to us, we should never have done what
our fathers did. The tide at present is setting towards
the exploitation, as the French would call it, of the less
powerful races of mankind; and a pettifogging poli-
tical
tical economy is prompting innumerable Mr. Inkles
to look at Yarico with an eye to her marketable qua-
lities. Our young republicans are most of them pro-
slavery at heart; to pull down what is above them,
and trample on what is below, being their notion of
the duties of a citizen. Yet the moment is not one
for discouragement but for activity. It is not impos-
sible that this quarrel may be what is to find occupa-
tion for the next half-dozen generations, and that
slave-driver and anti-slave-driver are the two castes
into which the world is going to resolve itself. The
old struggle for political freedom in Europe is nearly
burned out, and seems very likely to go through
the remainder of the process without ever
breaking again into a general blaze. Of
course the watcher is a speckled bird, who
with his eyes about him presumes to see farther than
his neighbours with their heads under their wings.
The time cannot be far oft; when even statesmen
will see danger in the strides making by the great
liberticide power on the other side of the Atlantic.
Lord George Bentinck urged Ministers on Friday
to seize on Cuba; who promptly protested
against being supposed capable of such an
Americanism. He jocularly alluded also, to whet
is no joke, the threat of one of the generals of the
slave-breeding republic, that " it shall not be long
before Uncle Sam throws his hat over Canada." The
Americans are open in their announcement that they
mean soon to seize upon Cuba, which they will at-
tempt, doubtless, by getting a portion of the Cuba
slave-owners to " decleie for liberal institutions."
Might it not occur to anti-slavery leaders in
England, if they do not utterly eschew all human
policy, that one way to bar this consummation
would be to prompt the Spaniards to loose their
negroes from their bondage, and to obtain the assist-
ance of the English Government in giving a liberal
support to such a plan ? Not more strange than
that Cuba has eight hundred miles of railroad, is the
information that it is not long since the Spaniards
were actually attempting the introduction of free
labour into Cuba. Nobody knows what may be
done for either good or evil till he tries; but sitting
with the mouth open, to see what the wind will blow
into it, was never the method by which blessings
were dispensed to man.
The military rule is never to waste time in think-
ing on what ought to be done but cannot. The anti-
slavery party have not the smallest chance of pre-
venting the equalization of the sugar duties. Like
thousands more, I would willingly pay the extra
penny to keep out slave-grown sugar. But since
we cannot, why should not we try what can be ob-
tained on the other side of the subject, from a Govern-
ment which is as well-disposed as it is strong ?
I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
T. PERRONET THOMPSON.
Blackheath, London, 8 Feb. 1848.

NAVAL INTEZLIGENCE.

PLYMOUTH, Fun. 5. - ner Majesty's frigate
Meander, 44, Captain the . Hon. H. Keppel, which
left Spithead on Tuesday, 1 nd to the Cape and
Labuan, put in here yesterclixy morning, having on
board Mr. Brooke, the Raja go:E. Sarawak ; Mr. Na-
pier, the Lieutenant-Goveri to r of Labuan ; Mrs.
Napier and family ; and Lievitenant Hosken, R.N.
His Excellency Governor Br coke is suffering from
the effects of a severe cold. 'The weather was bois-
terous all yesterday and the early part of to-day, and
none of the passengers have c once on shore. Captain
Keppel landed at the Devonp( at Dockyard this morn-
ing, and visited the naval authorities. To make
good defects the frigate has be en supplied with head
gratings, a bumpkin brace, a ad some squares of glass
carried away and broken in the Channel ; she has
also been furnished with one of Errickson's sounding
machines, two boat's compastei, and two boat's fire
hearths.

Mr. James Walker, the Admiralty engineer, ar-
rived here from London last evening on an official
visit to inspect the works at t he Breakwater.
We have the painful duty to record the sudden
death of Mrs. Alicia Oldfield, the lady of Colonel
Oldfield, Aide-de-Canap to her Majesty, and
Commanding Officer of Roy al Engineers, residing in
Plymouth citadel. Mrs. Oldlfield, who was 56 years
of age, retired to rest about tan o'clock last evening,
and her bell not being rung as usual this morning,
Colonel Oldfield entered the apartment and discovered
that she had expired during ttbe night. The coroner
for the borough, Mr. John Edmonds, held an inquest
this evening at the Guildhall,. -when a jury, formed of
several military officers and some civilians, after a
short inquiry, pronounced, by their foreman, Major-
General the lion. Henry Murray, a verdict of
" Found dead in bed, and died by the visitation of
God."
PORTSMOUTH, TUESDAY.-The Rolla, 10, exercise
vessel for the seamen apprentices at this port, has had
her bottom re-coppered, and Wl5 taken out of dock
this morning.
The Sealark, 8, Commander Monypenny, sailed
yesterday afternoon for Plymorath, where she will
receive advance wages and final ,orders.
The engines of the Sharpshooter will be completed
repairing or refitting this week; she will be taken
out for trial next week. She is completely rigged
and fitted for sea excepting some parts of her armament
fittings, which are not yet completed by the ordnance.
She will be commissioned at the etid of this month
for Mediterranean service. .

The Champion, 14, Commander Ira yea, hoisted the
pendant yesterday in the basin, and ill entering soma
fine men fast. She was docked to-day to have
Muntz's metal sheathing (which has been applied to
her bottom in lieu of copper) examined. She will
be undocked to-morrow, and the Powerful, 84, Cnptain
the Hon. R. S. Dundas, will be taken in to be re-

coppered.
Th• following is a copy of a general order just
propagated by the Admiral-Superintendent of Ports-
mouth Dockyard, having for its object the. enlighten-
ment of the Admiralty functionaries upon :the matter
therein enjoined of the several officers of disckyards to
report upon :

" GENERAL ORDER.

" Portmouth Dockyard, Feb.,. 1848.
" The Lords Commissioners of the Adminsity have
not considered the last quarterly reports from this
yard to be of a satisfactory description ; arid it is
their Lordships' direction, that the reports of the
foreinen upon the officers, with the remarks of the
master shipwright attached to them,' shall be-aocom-
panied by a confidential report from him of the
working of the new system, with such such sagges-
tions as time and experience may point out.
"The foremen, inspectors, and leading men, are
hereby enjoined to pay strict attention to the sy-stem
of weekly and monthly returns'—they are not to be
mere matters of form, but are to be accompanied by
remarks more or less copious, as may be requisite.
Upon this head, I particularly direct attention to the
concluding paragraph of their Lordships' circular of
the 27th of February, 1847, page 5.
" Weekly reports from leading men to inspectors—
from inspectors to foremen once a fortnight—monthly
reports from foremen to master shipwright.
" The reports of foremen on officers will be trans-
mitted to their Lordships with the master shipwright's
observations, and with such as I may think fit to
make.
" Finally—lt is my duty to impress upon all fore-
men, inspectors, and leading men, that a strict atten-
tion to their Lordships' circular before mentioned, is
invariably to be paid, and that their own advancement
in the service is entirely and exclusively dependent
upon themselves.
"This order is printed for the more perfect infor-
mation of all the officers concerned, to each of whom
a copy will be supplied.
" H. PRESCOTT, Admiral Superintendent."
WooLwiell, FEB. 7.—Vice- Admiral Sir Charles
Adam, K.C.B. Governor, and Rear-Admiral Sir
James Alexander Gordon, K.C.8., Lieutenant-Go-
vernor of Greenwich Hospital, visited Woolwich
Dockyard to. day to witness the operation of the new
sawing machines for cutting the frame timbers, and
and for cutting crooked logs of wood, without cross-
ing the grain in the least degree. The gallant Ad-
mirals were, in the absence of Commodore Sir Gor-
don Bremer, received by Mr. Elson, Master-At-
tendant ; Mr. Lang, Master- Shipwright ; Mr. Chat-
field, Assistant to the Master-Shipwright ; and Mr.
Atherton, Chief Engineer. On enterinc, the saw mills
the saws for cutting the wood and giving it the
necessary bevelled form at one operation were set
going, and from the ease with which the difficult
forms required of the wood were made perfectly true
for their various purposes gave great satisfaction, and
the details by which the objects in view are attained
were explained by Mr. Cochrane, the inventor.
large crooked log of timber was then cut with
the grain, and on the planks being separated, the
advantage of the the invention was evident, as the
most shapeless logs may now be cut with very little
waste.

The Caradoc iron steamer was taken into dock this
afternoon.

PROMOTIONS.

ADMIRALTY, FEB. 7.—W. B. Feyen, to be surgeon
of the Espiegle. •
APPOINTMENTS.—To the. Alarm, W. Rees; boat-
swain, advanced to the second class. To the Asia,
W. Brown, acting boatswain. To the Excellent, E.
D. Aske and C. P. H. P. St. John, lieutenants. To
the Hercules, J. G. Budd, second master. To the
Madagascar, C. 0. Robinson, second master. To the
Powerful, T. Andrews, midshipman ; R. Blanc, naval
cadet. To the President, James E. Hunter, naval
cadet. To the Prince Regent, W. L. Gordon, assis-
tant surgeon, confirmed. To ;the Star, 11. J. V er-
non, lieutenant. To the Zephyr, R. H. Albin, first
class assistant engineer. John Stephens, boatswain
in Sheerness Cheque, advanced to the second class.
F. G. Pearce, secretary's clerk to Vice-Admiral Sir
E. King.
PLYMOUTH, FEB. 7.—Her Majesty's frigate Mean-
der, 44, Captain the Hon. F. Keppel, bound to La-
buan, with his Excellency Governor Brooke, Raja
of Sarawak, and other distinguished passengers, left
the Sound for her destination yesterday afternoon,
with a light wind from W.N.W.
Her Majesty's sloop Pantaloon, 10, Commander
Henry H. Douglas, from the West Indies, having
landed her mails at Cork, left that port on Saturday,
and arrived here this morning. She will probably
go up Hamoaze to be paid off.
The brig Viper, of Londonderry, from Sicily, with
sulphur, fruit, and bee's-wax, bound to London, went
ashore in a fog on Saturday night, near Salcombe.
The vessel has become a total wreck ; crew saved.
CHATHAM, FEB. B.—This day the Banshee, Holy-
head steam-packet, Master-Commander William
Smithett, was put out of dock. This .'easel has un-
dergone several alterations since abe has been at this
port, which have much improved her appearance.
The Cleopatra, 26, was taken into the dock this
day, to be repaired, :and to be brought forward for
commission.

....
The Wolverine, 16-gun sloop, and the Waterwitch,
19-gun sloop, were taken into dock on the 7th inst.,
to be fitted for sea.

The Lucifer, steam-vessel, has been re commissioned
by Lieutenant Richard H. Risk, late second lieu-
tenant of the Birkenhead steam-frigate. She sailed
this morning for Greenhitho to adjust her compasses,
from there she proceeds to Cork, touching at Ports-
mouth and Plymouth.
The Hercules, 72, store-ship, Master-Cammander
Fulton, ,was towed away from this port by a steam
vessel to the little Nore, where she will be inspected
by the Port Admiral. On this ship being put out of
dock on Saturday last, a serious accident occurred to
George Trussell, a private of the Royal Marines, who
was standing on the edge of a plank, when it tilted
up, and he was thrown into the dock, and received
such injuries that he was taken on a stretcher to
Melville Hospital.
The Vivid steam vessel, designed by Mr. O. Lang,
assistant to the Master-Shipwright of this yard, was
launched at 2 pm. on the 7th inst., in the presence
of the Captain-Superintendent, Sir Thomas Bour-
chier, K.C.8., and a great number of naval and
military officers and ladies and inhabitants of the
town. The launch was effected with the greatest ease,
and the Vivid glided into the water in fine style,
amidst enthusiastic cheers from the numerous specta-
tors. The Vivid looks remarkably well on the water,
and when launched her draught of water was 3ft. 7in.
forward, and Oft. tin. aft. This vessel was com-
menced building on the 18th of January, 1847, and
is built of well-seasoned teak, oak, and mahogany ;
her bottom is of mahogany of three-fold thickness ;
her cabins are superb, being fitted with bird's-eye
maple and Spanish mahogany, with gilt mouldings.
This vessel is expected to outdo the Banshee in speed.
She is to be fitted with two oscillating engines of 160-
horse power each, which will be furnished by Messrs.
Penn, of Greenwich. The following are her dimen-
sions :—Lengtb, 150 ft.; breadth, 22ft.
_lin.; depth,