The Sun.
London, England, 1841-12-29 00:00:00

THE SPANISH PRESS.

MADRID, DEC. 13.—The election of officers of
Ayuntamientos now in progress throughout the thousand
pueblos in Spain that enjoy that privilege has afforded
occasion for the development of political views decidedly
at variance with the well• being of this kingdom, and, if
their dissemination proceed unchecked, likely to lead to
foreign interference as well as civil discord. An extract
from a recent number of the Republican journal, El
Huracan, now published in Ma rid without a name to
evade the law of libel, will suffice to show the unscrupu•
lous tendency of this periodical, and the boldness to
which its party has attained in the capital :
" Fortunately we have in Teruel a worthy colleague,
La Centinela de Aragon, who relieves us of a consider-
able port:on of the weight of our task. In Barcelona
there is another of our colour, although somewhat pale
and sickly, El Constitutional ; and in other points
journals are about to be established. Here, in Mad-
rid, on the Ist of January next, El Peninsular, a peri-
odical of principles similar to our own, will see the
light, edited by our political friends, and likely to do
good service to the cause. Already we find it acquiring
high consideration in the important and populous cities,
and even in the hamlets and solitary farmhouses they
talk of a republic, and discuss its possibility and ap-
plication in Spain, losing all fear while entranced with
the idea of the beauty and perfectibility of the system.
What all agree npon is, that nothing worse than what
exists could be invented, and that it will be impossible
to sustain it ; neither can it be abandoned to its own
natural course of decomposition.
" Already we arc adults, already re can resist,
combat, and conquer the dangers that rise around
us, since we have been able to overcome
those that threatened us still more furiously
at the epoch of our new-born liberties. Inva-
riable in our principles we aspire to destroy the
Constitution of 1837, the Throne, and the
Regency of General Espartero -- to realize
the union of Spain and Portugal, and establish be-
tween both countries, on the basis of perfect
equality, a federal Republican Government upon the
basis of a Constitution formed by ourselves after
the most deliberate meditation, which is al-
ready prepared, and which we shall publish at
the proper time. Let nobody imagine that we wish to
impose this Constitution upon the people ; we only pro-
pose it as the complete explanation of the system which
has been advocated by us for so long a time, and that the
public may, if it
or reject and burn it, in the exercise of t heir sovereignty."
pleases, adopt it, or amend or modify it,
This treasonable style must, at present, go free and
unpunished, as the law of libel stands ; but it
is known that the Minister of the Interior is pre-
pared with a Bill to submit to the Cortes to remedy
the serious deficiencies which exist in this department ;
and then we may hope to see something like smity
restored to the periodical political literature of Spain.
Preparation is making in various tribunals, both
civil and military, for attaining a better state of things
Don Jose Diaz Gil has been appointed Minislro Togado
of the Supreme Tribunal of War and Marino (the
council of appeal in military trials) ; Don Francisco
Valdes, Mariscal de Campo, has been named Gefe Po-
litico of Huesca, and various appointments have been
made in reference to Cuba, Porto Rico, and the

ON THE STEAM NAVIGATION OF
GREAT BRITAIN.
(FI orn the Journal des Debats.)
England is increasing in an extraordinary manner her
means of communication with every part of the world.
On March 20, 1840, a contract was entered into be-
tween the Government and the Royal Mail Steam Navi-
gation Company, by which the latter engaged to orga-
nise a line of steam-packets between England and the
Gulf of Mexico. In less than 20 months from the
signing of the contract the running of these vessels has
commenced.

The conditions imposed on the company were that they
should build 14 large steamers, each of 400-horse power,
and capable of carrying the heavy artillery now in use.
An these vessels were to be completely found
in every respect. From the time the Company should
be prepared to commence the running of these vessels
they were to despatch, at equal intervals, twice in a
month, a steamer, which should first carry the mail
to the island of Barbadoes, and from thence into
the Gulf of Mexico ; and the Company were bound to
take measures for the landing and receiving mails at all
the different points at which they were to touch, in an
interval of not exceeding 22 days (except in case of
accident) from their arrival at 13arbadoes to their de- I
parture from Sainana, in the island of Hayti, on their
return to Europe.
The Government, on its part, engaged to pay to the
Company an annual sum of 240,0001., payable, in equal
proportions, every quarter.
Not twenty months have elapsed since this contract
was signed, and already eight of those stupendous ves-
sels, ready for sea, have assembled at Southampton,
which is to be their point of departure. These vessels
are said to be magnificent ; and in the trial trips to
which they have been submitted have shown their
amazing powers, none of them performing less than
twelve knots an hour, and one of them, the Clyde,
fifteen. The remaining six vessels will be at Southamp-
ton by the 15th of next month. One of these fine
vessels started last week for her voyage, and will be the
first vessel that has made the run between Europe and
the Gulph of Mexico by steam power alone. Others
will follow in regular succession.
This activity does honour to the Directors of the
Company; but it is not only to the continent of Ame-
rica that the English direct their attention. In the
other hemisphere they evince no less efforts to unite their
Indian possessiong viith England by means of rapid and
regular communications. The port of Bombay has be..
come one of the most- important points of the globe for
steam navigation. Her steamers regularly ply to the
mouths of the Indus, the Persian Gulph, the Red Sea,
and Suez, where they every month transport the corres-
pondence from India, China, and the Indian Archipe-
lago, carrying back in exchange the correspondence of
Europe with Asia. The last courier which came by
that route was the bearer of no less than 50,000 let-
ters for Europe. This is not ell. The presidencies of
Calcutta and Madras would also have their direct com-
munication with the mother country, without being
compelled to make use of the Bombay line ; and have,
therefore, established a separate line of steamers, which,
from next month, will run to Suez, touching at Ceylon,
Madras, and Calcutta, to take and carry passengers
from and to those different ports. Four steamers, of
500 horse-power each, are already ready for this ser-
vice. In the meantime every exertion is making at
Bengal for the extension of steam navigation of the
i
magnificent river Ganges ; n a short time the voyage
from Calcutta to Bewares, which cost the unfortunate

Jacquemont 89 much labour and time, will be performed
as easily as the voyage from Paris to Havre.

Steam navigation will shortly establish mania com-
munications between the different points of the mar,
nificent empire which the genius of England has founded
in the South Sea. A steamer has already commenced
running between Sydney, Port Philip, and Van Die-
men's Land. It is announced that other vessels will
soon arrive to form a rapid communication with all
those points by which England has attached the great
Continents of New Holland, Van Diemen's Land,
Norfolk Island, and the island of New Zealarid. It is
talked of, and it is an idea which will be eventually
realised, of establishing a regular line of steam-packets
between Sydney and Ceylon, or Calcutta—that is to
say, to place New Holland at a distance of from seventy
or eighty days' run from Europe, whilst hitherto the
voyage from the coast of Europe to that antipodean
Continent has seldom been less than from five to six
months.

When we witness such marvellous results as these of
the genius of England, we cannot avoid making painful
reflections as to our own country. Where are our
Transatlantic steam-vessels? When will they ba ready
to commence their voyages? Are the great sacrifices
offered by the Government in promotion of this affair to
be for ever without result? It is scarcely credible, that
the gratuitous gift of steamers, and the formal promise
of an allowance of more than a million of francs annu-
ally, has not yet induced the people of Havre, our first
Fort, and within fifty leagues of the capital, to form a
Company for the service of the line to New York.

EXTRAORDINARY RUN WITH
THE DUKE OF BUCCLEUCIPS HOUNDS
ACROSS THE BORDERS.

A few days since the Duke of Buccleuch's hounds
met at Kelso Bridge, the morning exceedingly favour-
able, the wind, albeit not southerly, yet soft and balmy,
more like a day of April than one of Dark December.
Everything looked well for sport, and the freshness and
beauty of the moss seemed to impart an elasticity to
the body, and buoyancy to the spirit of the large and
well-mounted field, and which all were satisfied must
be the forerunner of sport beyond common. Among
the many sportsmen present were Lord Dunmore,
Campbell of Jura, Sir Hugh Campbell, Sir David
Baird, on his famous horse Pioneer, the winner of the
light weight Eglinton Steeple Chase, Mr. Spottiswoode,
Mr. Tod of Drygrange, Mr. Grey of MiHeld Hill, on
his well-known mare Grace Darling, Mr. Meiklam, on
a dashing brown horse, Mr. Balfour on his neat grey
nag, Captain Low, Major Dickenson, &c.
Williamson, after waiting a few minutes to allow the
field to collect, drew Wooden Dean blank, and then
trotted on to Redden Rig, (the property:of Sir William
Elliot, Bart., of Stobbs, and No celebrated in song by
Mr. Campbell, of Saddell), where a few speculators
had waited trusting to his coming there. After draw-
ing two or three small places, a fox broke from a piece
of gorse, and putting all the rules of heading at defi-
ance, ran right through the whole body of horsemen
and disappeared in the large wood. It was now evident
that if the fox should prove a good one, the prog-
nostics of good sport would be verified—for the hounds
settled to their fox as they never do except when the
scent is first rate. They dashed down the wood as fast
as if they had been running at a view. '[his immedi-
ately had the effect of scattering the field, and fifty
red coats, who were a minute before altogether,
were, e'er the heunds had cleared the first field beyond
the wood, in at least twenty different parties and places.
The line was from the wood nearly north, at a slapping
pace, to the bottom of the Shidlaw ground. The lead-
ing men at this time were, Mr. Spottiswoode, Sir H.
Campbell, Mr. Grey, Williamson, and Balfour. The
hounds now took a sharp turn south, and crossed Sir
David Baird, who was riding a little to the right, who
of course took the lead, and held it by at least half a
field over those beautiful large enclosures from this
point for about three miles by Wark-common, Lempit-
law, and Presscn Mill, until a few seconds of hesitation
at the Hoselaw Main plantations allowed about
fifteen men to get on terms with the hounds.
Up to this point the pace was desperate, and
the country very deep, and even the few seconds of
doubt was a matter of great moment to the steaming.
and heaving flanks of the horses. In less than a
minute the bounds cleared the plantations, and were
again streaming over the open fields towards the
Wideopen covert. Here the field divided, or rather
the leaders of the field, Mr. Grey, Mr. Tod,
and Williamson, keeping the direct line of the
hounds through a heavy turnip-field, the others taking a
line to the west, which was directly upon the Wideopen
covert. This looked a little like speculating—however,
they were cheated, for instead of turning for the Cherry-
trees country, the fox still pressed forward, and crossed
the Beaumont, about a mile above the Mindrum-hill.
The river caused a slight check, not to the hounds, but
among the leading men. The banks were steep—a
good deal of fresh in the stream, and it looked ugly ;
however, it was of no use hesitating, the longer you
looked the worse you liked it, and Williamson was the
first to he seen up to the buttons of his unmentionables
swatteriug through. This was the signal for a general
plunge ; and as the river varied much in depth the cool.
ing received was not exactly equal—some were only belly
deep, to their agreeable surprise—others got their boots
filled, Jura we observed deliberately swimming down
the stream to seek a landing place. All at length got
out, and at the right side ; and if the riders were tie-
comfortable, the horses were decidedly refreshed by
their bath. The resolute varmint seemed now de-
termined to try the metal of all the hounds, :nen, and
hems, charging straight up Paston-hill. Mr. Grey
and Mr. Meiklam were first into the Yetholtn-road,
Wileamson and Sir D. Baird next. Mr. Grey took
the fence into the field above—one of those places
which try a horse severely when a little blown—a
rough steep scramble up a bank, with a hedge on
the top, and a bank still rising on the other side.
The others kept the road to the gate. Oa getting to
the top of the hill, the hounds were stringing down to-
wards Kilham Haugh ; and a great body of the field, by
keeping the flat, now got in and joined the hounds,
when they crossed the Beaumont again at Langham
Bridge. They ran their fox up one of Mr. Hunter's
fields, in the direction of Flodden, but came to a check,
and at this moment Mr. Spottiswoode and Mr. Grey
viewed the fox down to the banks of the river. William-
son immediately threw them forward, and again the
pace became terrific pest Kilham and Longknow Whin,
right over the beautiful but bursting hills to Heathpool.
One hour and five minutes to this point. The first flight
was composed of Williamson and Tod on the right,
George Grey and Jura on the left—the two former
having a little advantage, the body of the field taking the
flat round to Newton. The hounds were now evidently
much blown, and straying like a flack of wild geese—
the area wet and uncomfortable—the horses crying
" bellows to mend." Still the fox, one of the true
Cheviot breed, held on his way, and with undaunted
courage faced the tremendous and all but perpendicular
side of Newton 'For. This seemed to bring despair to
the desperate, and all, by one consent, flew off ; and,
after watching the hounds climb the steep ascent on the
respective roads, Williamson and one other only made a
resolute push to reach the pack, arid when they got to
the summit they were without companions. The fear-
ful bill accomplished, Williamson and the man who
had followed him, found easy riding over the table-
land, and over by Wooler Common ; and after, per-
haps, the severest run on record, ran into their fox near
Middleton Hall. Williamson got the hounds as far
as Lees,where he and his pets were welcomed to supper
and repose.

THE DOVER HORNBLOWER. A diligent
sportsma:t in the antiquarian field may easily find some-
thing to attract notice amongst the preserves of Dover.
Few places hare been more rich in antique bits, and there
are yet many perishing records, which require the fos-
tering care of the antiquary to prevent their being lost
for ever. Every lane, shop, and church (as Shakspeare
says), yields matter for a hot brain ; and the book-worm
will find in Dover, what is frequently wanting in other
towns—a general desire amongst men of all parties to
afford every information connected with its early history.
The horn-blower has been, time out of mind, a functionary
of some importance in Dover; and a. special fee has al-
ways been allowed whenever his services were required.
Formerly almost every official announcement was made by
sound or bugle, but by degrees the custom became less pre-
valent, and the horn gave place to the drum and hand-bell.
The drum was used to summon the inhabitants to re-
move the beach from the haven ; and the hand-bell be-
came the peculiar attribute of the Town-crier. In good
old times, when horn-blowing was in its zenith, monks,
friars, mayors, and lord wardens revelled in sack and
venison ; theatrical entertainments were given at the
private houses of the Mayor and Jurats, and the ex-
penses of such representations were defrayed out of the
corporate funds, without any cavilling on the part of
their fellow-townsmen, who were liberal by nature
rather than by name; the morris•dancer, with his
jingling bells, enlivened the quiet unpaved street ;
lads and lasses tripped it merrily round the may-
pole ; trade flourished, and tradesmen ranked high
in society ; commerce was not looked down upon
by great people in a small way ; taxation and machinery
had not reduced the bold peasant• of England to become
the creature of charity or voluntary exile ; the artisan
and labourer earned an independent livelihood ; poor-
laws were unheard of, and there were no guardians to
advertise for beef and collies for the pauper! Men were
content to hear a sermon at the parish church on Sunday,
and return to business on Monday. Your parish busy-
body was a thing unheard of : but, tempora mutantur !
England appears in this respect but the brilliant reflec-
tion of what she was. " There is something (as my
aunt says) rotten in the state of Dunkirk !" A truce,
however, to croaking : this is the season of beef, pud-
ding, and compliment, therefore—
" Gentle, simple, great, and small,
A merry Christmas to you all."
—Dover Chronicle.
A MAIDEN LADY.—The Public Advertiser
of December, 1777, states that on " Sunday se'nnight
were interred at Woolwich, the remains of Mrs. Gott, a
maiden lady. She left 50s. on condition of being carried
to her grave (and attended only) by females, which was
I complied with, so that there were no male officiators at
her funeral, except the parson and clerk."
Mr. Commissioner Fane has returned to the Earl
of Darlington's, after attending Lord Westmorland's
, funeral.

MADAME FREZZOLINI. - TIDE
NEW PRIMA DONNA.

The interest and applause which this young and ta-
lented female has gained in the vocal circles of the
Continent has been almost unprecedented, and certainly
has not been equalled since the early career of Cate-
Idei. As it is generally supposed that she is to be the
new pri►ra donna for the ensuing season, the follow-
log brief sketch of the principal events of her life may
prove interesting to our numerous musical readers :
Eminia Frezzolini was born at Ovieto, in the Papal
States, in 1819 ; her father is still one of the best
pass voices in Italy, and an excellent musician, and
under his instruction his daughter at a very early ago
Lecame a talented pianist, and she studied counter-
point with more strictness than is usual with females,
under Neucini, the celebrated professor of the Ly-
ceum at Florence. In singing, her first master was
the elder Ronconi, the father of one of the most
talented artistes that Italy possesses of the present
day. The late Madame Malibran having heard
the young Enainia sing, took a deep interest in her mu-
sical education, and declared she would one day become
one of the glories of the lyrical art of her country,
and it was at Malibran's especial desire that her
brother, Manuel Garcia, afforded the young and inter-
esting eleve the advantage of his instructions. She
was afterwards confided to Tacchinardi, with whom she
studied in 1836-7 ; at the same time she was studying
declamation under the celebrated masters Morrocchesi
and Martolini of Florence. In the carnival of 1838
she made her debut at the Theatre Cocomero, at
Florence, in Beatrice di Tends, and shortly afterwards
in Mario Visconti, which was written specially for her.
Her success was immediate and immense ; the oldest
and most experienced dilettanti adopted the young
debutante as their future hope, and followed with soli-
citude each of her performances. Besides the fine and
rare qualities of her voice, it was remarked she pos-
sessed a certain method of intonation and an enlarged
style ; her acting was at once pronounced superior to
any cantatrice then on the Italian stage. From Flo-
rence she went to Sienna, and all the managers were
outvieing each other in offering her engagements. In
less than three years she sang at Ferrara, Pisa, Reggio,
Bologna, Brescia, Turin, and Milan. At Vienna she
received two engagements at the Royal Theatre.
bore she appeared in sixteen or eighteen different
operas, of which five were written expressly for her.
The works in which she more particularly shines are
said to be Beatrice di Tenda, Ines de Castro, Lucia di
Larnmer►noor, Lucrezia Borgia, and Elena da Feltre.
Frezzolini possesses a superior soprano voice, finely
developed, of great purity, strikingly brilliant, and full
of eclat in certain tones. Tice strength of her organ
is not of an extraordinary power, but it is certainly
above the middle range, even when heard in so vast a
theatre as La Scala, at Milan, which, with the San
Carlo, at Naples, is the largest theatre in Italy, nay,
in the world. At present she is singing at Modena.
In March last Frezzolini was married in Milan to
Antonio Poggi, a tenor singer of high reputation, and
in every way worthy of associating his name with that
of the celebrated cantratice. Pc•ggi and his wife form
a duo the most remarkable of the present day on the
Italian boards. They are both under engagements,
for two years to come, to sing at Milan, Trieste,
Naplee, &e., but the tempting and liberal offers made
from Paris and London will cause them to break off
with a portion of their engagements.