The Sun.
London, England, 1856-03-19 00:00:00

HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY.

The general monthly meeting of the above so-
ciety was held yesterday at the society's rooms, 21,
Regent-street, under the presidency of the Rev. F.
Beadon. The show of plants and flowers was, as
might have been expected from the early period of
the year, rather deficient in quantity, but, never-
theless, contained some exceedingly fine specimens.
Amongst the most noticeable were the collection
of plants from the society's gardens, consisting of
acacias and other new Holland plants. Some fine
rhododendrons were exhibited by Messrs. Veitch,
and there were also some excellent plants of camel-
lias, &c., from Messrs. Lee and other exhibitors.
Particular attention was called to a box of black
Barbarossa grapes, of which the keeping quality
had been tested by their being allowed to hang for
several months during the latter part of last year.
The lecture of the day was by Dr. Lindley, the
vice-secretary, on the qualities of British oak tim-
ber. The object of the lecture was show that
under the common name of English oak, there are
certainly two distinct sorts in this country, of
which one grows faster, is handsomer than, and at
least of equal durability with, the other. The two
kinds he denominated respectively durmast and
common oak. Several specimens were exhibited,
and various proofs were cited, the tendency of the
whole being to show that the handsomer
and more rapidly growing tree is quite
as durable and as valuable for practical purposes
as the other. Under these circumstances Dr.
Lindley recommended the durmast oak to the at-
tention of planters. At the conclusion of the lec-
ture the usual thanks were voted, and the pro-
ceedings terminated.

THE LATE ROBBERY OF ROY AL PLATE.

The box which contained the Royal nursery plate,
stolen on Saturday last on the South-wharf-roai, Pad-
dington, has been recovered, but with only a portion of
the contests, all the plate having been removed. On
Monday morning a young man named Henry Knott, of
No. 6, Adelphi-terrace, Old Ford-road, Bethnal-green,
was crossing Bonner's-hall-field, near the entrance of the
Victoria-park, when he saw a large oaken box, on which
was a braesplate, with the words "Royal Nursery" en-
graved thereon. It was lying on the grass. The hinges had
been tern off by force. The thieves had abstracted the
whole of the plate, and carefully removed the silver handles
from two dozen knives. The steel blades, with her Ma-
jesty's initials, " V.R.," were found in the box, which
also contained 5 dessert knives, from which the handles
bad been removed, 4 women's dresses, 2 chemises, 9
stockings; 3 handkerchiefs, 2 pieces of flannel, napkins,
calico, and other articles of linen and wearing apparel
belonging to some domestics in the Royal household.
The box end its contents were delivered by Knott to a
police constable of the K division, and conveyed to the
stationhouse adjoining the Thames Police Court, Arbour
spiv, Stepney. It appears from inquiry made by the
polie that a cab with two men in it drove up to the
South-wharf-road, Paddington, just before the box was
missing from the waggon on which it was placed, and
there is no doubt the box was placed in the cab after it
was stolen, and the plate removed between Paddington
and Bethnal-green. The value of the property recovered
is about 9/.
• -

The St. Petersburg journals of the 9th inst. contain
an Imperial order, by which Aide-de-Camp General
Prince Italiiski, Military Governor of Rigft, Governor-
General of Livonia, of Esthonia, and of Courland, is
appointed to the command of the corps d'arm6c of the
Baltic, charged at the same time with the command of
the troops stationed in Livonia and Courland, retaining
his other functions and dignities. He succeeds General
Sievers, who retires on the plea of ill-health.