The Sun.
London, England, 1856-02-22 00:00:00

THE PROSPECTS OP PEACE.

The Northern Bee is now just as outrageous in
its peace articles as it lately was in blowing the
war trumpet ; it tells us that the expectation of
a peace being concluded, of which there can now
be no doubt, and consequently the hopes of an un-
impeded navigation, have raised the prices of Rus-
sian goods and lowered those of foreign wares. The
letter, from which the following is au extract,
comes from an authentic source in the Polish capi-
tal :

"It is now a settled thing that as soon as the fine
weather comes the Emperor Alexander will come to
Warsaw, which he has not seen for years, and he will
bring an extensive amnesty with him. When be is there
he will, as is stated fer certain, lay the foundation-;tone
of a monument to be erected to the memory of the
lately deceased Field-Marshal Paskie witch, and thus
commemorate the merits of the most faithful servant
his late father ever bad. What changes besides
the Emperor may intend to make in and with Poland
are either not yet settled or a well-kept secret.
The only thing that I have been able to learn that
I can depend upon is that the kingdom of Poland is to
have a combined Ministry of its own (Interior, Finence,
and Public Instruction), and to the different posts in
which more especially natives of rank and of well-enown
loyal sentiments will be nominated. On Feb. 1, the same
day that the news of the death of Prince Paskiewitch
reached St. Petersburg, the Emperor appointed Prince
Michael Gortschakoff, formerly Military Governor of
Poland, subsequently Commander-in-Chief of the Army
of Occupation, and afterwards Generalissimo of the
Southern Army and the troops in the Crimea, to tbeStaclt-
holder of Poland and Generalissimo of the West and
Central Armies. (The first of these is commanded by
General Sumarakoff, the latter by General Paniutin.)
On the 14th instant the new Stadtbolder received the
high military and civil dignitaries of the kingdom,
together with the nobility and clergy, in the apart-
ments of the palace. When all were assembled the
Prince expressed to them his satisfaction that it had
pleased his Majesty the Emperor, his august master, to
honour him with this public mark of his confidence, and
in consequence of which he now found himself again
,in
the same post that he had 011 s, ocFer Auerai
tEa.
Irlid"PjeelWho hadbeen serving under him in the South
and Crimean armies had fought very bravely,
and that
many of them must be reckoned among the bravest and
most valued officers of the Emperor's army. In conclu-
sion, he expressed his confidence that his Majesty the
Emperor would have every cause to be satisfied with
the zeal and entire devotion with which his (the Empe-
ror's) service was performed. When the reception was
over the Prince, accompanied by all the guests present,
repaired, to the church, where divine service was per-
formed. A species of officieux announcement is made
the Kreuz Zeitang of this place to the effect that, in
case a peace should be br( light about, all the military
reserves in Russia will not be sent to their homes at
once, but a portion of them be kept back for the con-
struction of railway earthworks and telegraphs on a
large scale. In all probability the last loan, which has
not yet been expended, would be taken for this purpose.
There are also to he great facilie,ies offered to Russian
commerce with the rest of t'ee word—in short, if only
half of what these Russia;, papers talk of be fulfilled, we
are about to enter
n1:"--n a commercial tniVennium. Of
course, where ther-ss are such bright lights in a picture
there. nut reoperdonAlly deep shales, tbu,,, for ire
stanc e the leineiine board of Aho informs the inhabi-
tants that from April 27th to November 13th of this
year tie military force that will he quartered on them
~zlf'ee three times as great as it has been at at y tune
w:nce the cornirenc3ment of tve war. It is evident from
this that, how ever conEchnt Russia is of making pea, e
with France and Austria, she is not sure of coming to
terms with England."

The Queen, with the Princess Royal and the Princess
Alice, rode on horseback yesterday morning in the
Riding School attached to Buckingham Palace.
Her Mejesty, attended by the Countess of Desert,
Major-General Bouverie, and Ca:ptain Du Plat, visited
her Royal Plightiess the Duchess of Glocester in the
afternoon, at Glocester-house.
His Royal Highness Prince Albert rode on horse-
back, attended by Captain Du Plat.
The Prince of Wales and Prince Alfred visited Mr.
Fenton's Photographic Exhibition in Pall-mall yester-
day morning.
MURDER AND SUICIDE AT ISLINGTON.--Scarcely had
the excitement caused by the murder in the New North-
road been permitted to subside, when the most painful
sensation was created in Islington and its vicinity by a
pinuur that a young female, who resided at No. 5,
Belinda-cottages, Canonbury-square, Islington, bad
murdered her child, by nearly severing its head from
the body, and then destroyed herself. It appears that
Mary Ann Jarrard, aged 21 years, had for some short
time been in the service of Mr. I. E. and Mrs. Wil-
liams, at the above-mentioned address, and not the
slightest surpicien was excited that she was enceinte.
On Tuesday evening, according to her usual custom,
she went up stairs to dress, but being a much longer
time than was considered necessary, site was called
by one of the family, who received for answer that she
would be down presently ; but not making her ap-
pearance, another messenger was sent up, who receiv-
ing no answer, and finding the door fastened, the
family became alarmed, and had the door forced open,
when a frightful spectacle met the view. A newly.
born infant, of which she had recently been delivered,
was found with its head nearly severed from its body by
• jsgged gash extending from ear to ear round the hack
of the neck, and the unfortunate mother lay extended
in a pool of blood, apparently lifeless. Mr. Clifton, sur-
geon, of Cross-street, Islington, was presently in at-
tendasee, and pronounced life to be extinct in both
cases, Information has been forwarded to the coroner,
but as yet no time has been fixed for the inquest.
M. Picco, THE SARDINIAN MINSTREL.—We were yes-
terday afforded by Mr. Anderson, the lessee of Covent-
Garden Theatre, an opportunity of witnessing the ex-
traordinary performance of the Sardinian minstrel,
Picco, whose fame has already preceded his visit to
thus country. The performance was a private one,
in the presence of seine amateurs, although, in order
to test the powers of tins artist, it took place on the
stage. M. Picco is entirely blind, and utterly ab-
sorbed in his art. He needs te be so, for nothing short
of absolute devotion of body and spirit could enable
him to work such wonders with such an instrument.
To call it a " pipe" (though tibia is its traditional
name with the Serdinian shepherds) is to invest it
with too much dignity. We are afraid it must be set
down as a " whistle," for such it ie, not more than two
inches long, and with no other machinery for producing
separate notes than three of the ordinary round holes.
Upon this instrument the artiste (for artiste he is in the
highest sense of the term) discourses really most ele-
quent music, developing power and even pathos, and
executing the most intricate passages with a delicacy,
finish, and aplomb that might be envied by the most
perfect violin player. To the mere sight-seer the exhi-
bition would be interesting because of the wonders pr)-
duced by such insignificant means, but the musician will
find abundant food for reflection and admiration that
this untutored child of nature should have acquired so
complete a masttry over the mysteries of an art whic'i
it is
given to few so thorougly to understand, and to still
fewer to be able to interpret. We trust that it will not
be long before M. Picco appears in p2blic, His talent
and 4o will gaud alone. -