The Sun.
London, England, 1851-05-06 00:00:00

EVENING,

EXPERIMENTAL TRIP FROM LOADOA
TO PARIS AND BACK.

On Thursday, the Ist of May. amid all the favourable
auspices of that most memorable morning, the " special
express day service," which is to bring the English and
French capitals within twelve hours' journey of each
other, was dnly commenced. The plan contemplated
by the directors of the South-Eastern Railway was
tried, and, to the satisfaction of both nations
benefited, it succeeded. The English who, in
spite of the attractions tempting them at home, accom-
panied the expf dition, arrived punctually and safely
at Paris, via". Folkestone, as promised, eleven hours
after their departure from London. The French, who,
similarly adventurous, have already left their country to
visit us, have also, to an unprecendented extent, experi-
enced on their way the great desiderata of all travelling
—celerity and comfort. The inconveniences which for-
merly attended the voyage in the dark, the annoyance
of embarking and disembarking in small boats, the
horrors of a compulsory delay, have all been done
away with; the fatigues consequent on these have been
decreased, and the tendency to brave those remaining
has been quickly promoted by the novelty of the
mode of communication, originally projected and now
carried out by the spirited directors of.the South-Eastern
Company.
The new service may therefore be considered perma-
nently established; it has stood the test of experience,
and though as yet comparatively unknown, it has
already become popular with those for whose good it was
intended. The number of passengers, principally
foreigners, who came by it from Paris yesterday, was
greater than on any of the preceding days of its exist-
ence. Out of London most persons are at present loath
to go; but the prudent of those to whom the duty of
departure is imperative have mostly discovered the ad-
vantages of the day service, and have availed themselves
of the rapid and facile mode of communication at length
afforded them.

The difference between this day service and the night
service which, in some degree at least, it supersedes, con-
sists, as we explained on Saturday, principally in an
independence of the mails on the part of the former,
in its adaptation to the convenience of the public rather
than to the requirements of the Post-office. Supported
thus entirely by private patronage, the designers of the
plan appeal, not unsuccessfully, to the personal feelings
of the traveller; who, by their arrangement, no sooner
leaves the one train than he finds the steamer ready to
start, and no sooner quits the steamer than he steps into
the other train, which is waiting to carry him on to his
destination.

The simplicity of the scheme, which is merely a suit-
ing of the hours of departure by land to the exigencies
of the tides, seems at first sight, like most ingenious dis-
coveries, to be so extreme, that we are surprised rather
that it was not evident before, than that it should have
shown itself at last; but considering the practical diffi-
culties which hampered the originators at first, remem-
berieg, too, the tardiness of distinct though not rival
interests, to see in any coalition equal shares of common
goorj, we can better account for the delay, and better ap-
preciate the boon, when, all obstacles removed, it is so
unexpectedly conferred.
From our experience of the service, however, we
should say that the system, improved as it is, is capable
of still further development; that more rapidity will be
attained, and more security ensured to the traveller by
the progressive experience and attention of the company,
whose care it will assuredly be to cherish the scheme to
which they have given birth. At Folkestone, for in-
stance, there was, as we went, a stoppage longer than
we had anticipated; at Dover, as we yesterday re-
turned, we noticed that some short time might have
been saved in the transportation of the luggage to and
from the Custom house, by means of a cart drawn by
horses instead of by men. Again, in a service intended
to combine the excursion with the express train—which
proposes to take the man of business for a trifling sum
to Paris in a day, and for half as much again to allow a
fortnight there to the mere holiday-maker for enjoy-
ment, might—for the benefit of the latter class, be pro-
vided with a functionary, bat-passenger's guard, half-
interpreter, to whom, in their doubts and difficulties,
the unlearned, save in their mother-tongue,
might make their appeal. These, however, are
matters of detail, to which, fur their own interest as well
as for the public good, the company wil doubtless attend.
The more eery and the more attractive they make the
route, the more travellers will there be to reward them
for their labours. Sufficient for the present is it to be
thankful that by these trains the entire journey from
London to Paris will, hereafter, be performed, as it has
been for the last few days, in eleven hours by way of
Boulogne, in twelve by way of Calais—the passage across
being made in two hours by the steam-ships of the South-
Eastern and Continental Steam-packet Company. Such
a fact needs little comment. Before 1851 it would have
astonished, now it will only gratify, our readers.

PARTING TRIBUTE OF RESPECT TO ADMIRAL
SIR JOHN OMMANNEY, K.C.B.
A large assemblage of the magistrates of the county
of Southampton took place at Fareham, on Saturday
last, 25th ult. for the purpose of bidding farewell to their
late chairman, Admiral Sir John Ommanney, K.C.8.,
who has been appointed Commander-in-Chief at Devon-
port.

Among the magistrates present were Admiral Sir John
Ommanney, K.C.8.; the Right Hon. Lord Henry Chol-
mondeley; Captain Sir James Stirling, Belmont; Capt.
Sir Henry Leeke, West Leigh; Colonel Le Blanc,
Blackbrook House; Archer Burton, Esq., Woodlands;
Captain W. B. Greene, Wickham; Deverell, Esq.,
Purbrook Park, &c., &c.
Captain Sir H. LEEME, who is now the Chairman of
the Division, having been requested to address the gal.
lent Admiral, rose and spoke as follow s:—Sir John Om-
manney,—Under any other circumstances I could almost
wish it had fallen to the lot of some other gentleman,
who, might be more competent to address you upon this
occasion than I may be, though at the same time it
is a source of very great gratification to me to
have been requested by my brother magistrates
to express to you our united very sincere re-
gret that we are to be separated in our magisterial
duties from one who so ably, so uprightly, and so
conscientiously filled the office of Chairman of this di-
vision of the county for a period of nearly 20 years. I
am sure, Sir, I shall not be thought guilty of flattery,
or of going one step out of my way, when I say
that we have all gained much experience in our
magisterial. as well as in many county duties, by the
example you bsve set us, and by your straightforward
and impartial'. conduct upon all occasions, and we+
feel deep regret that we shall not for a long time
have the bete. fie)Sf your counsel and advice as our chair-
man, in conseqUance of your having been selected to fill
the high and important post of Commander-in-Chief at
Devoeport, but although we reeret your separation from
us, we most sincerely congratulate you upon your ap-
pointment. In conveying these sentiments to 3 on, sir,
I am performing, both a pleasing and a painful duty
—pleasing, because I have the honour to be selected to
express the unanimous kind feeling of so many gentle-
men of the county towards you—and painful, because
the time has arrived for our in paration. In taking our
leave of you let me express a hope that we may
all meet again at no very distant period. When
I entered this room I had no idea that I should be called
upon to address you, therefore I have bad no time to
study eloquence, *ty words are words of the heart, and
if I have succeeded in conveying to you the sentiments
of the gentlemen, who are now present in as strong a
manner as I know. they feel them, I shall be truly happy.
I now, Sir, in the name of my brother magistrates, beg
you to accept of our sincere and heartfelt wishes for
your health, happiness, and prosperity, and in this ear-
nest wish we beg to include Lady Ommanuey and the
whole of your family.
At the close of Sir Henry's address, Sir Joust ORMAN-
NEY rose and replied to the following effect:—My Lord
and Gentlemen, I avail myself of this opportunity to do
that which common courtesy to
wards yourselves would
have required of me, and which is now rendered the
more necessary from the course which you have been
pleased to take. I thank you all for the very kind man-
ner in which you have been pleased to receive Sir Henry
Leeke's proposal,
which has gratified me very much, and
I thank him too for the way in which he has made it. I
have now acted as a magistrate for, I think, 38 years, and
am almost the oldest magistrate in the °aunty. At one
time, when I lived elsewhere, I acted for three divisions
in this county, but neverdid I act where I met with so
much support and good will from my brother magistrates
as I have uniformly done in this division. I am an
old man now, and by God's Providence I have been
blessed with much good health, as well as permitted to
come to an advanced time of life. I cannot, therefore,
look with any degree of expection to a return to this
neighbourhood, but that matter is in higher hands. And
should a yetlonger life be extended to me, I shall meet you
again with the utmost pleasure; and even now, although
removed from each other, I trust we may not be separated.
I do from my heart assure you, that could I have antici-
pated the pain I have been put to in parting from my
friends, I could not have made up my mind to accept the
appointment, important in every respect as I know it to
be. If business or pleasure should lead any of you to
the neighbourhood: in which I am about to be placed, I
assure you that you will ever find from me the open
hand and the hearty welcome. My Lord and Gentle-
men, again I thank you for your great kindness.
Several other gentlemen present made some observa-
tions, indicating their high sense of Sir John's services
as a magistrate, and Lord Henry Cholmondeley (after
expressing his entire concurrence in all the observations
of Sir Henry Leeke) added that Sir John bad often put
.
to shame mln much younger than himself, and who bad
a much less distance to travel, by the punctuality and
regularity of his attendance at the Magistrates' Meet
iogs.—Devonport Independent.

EQUALIZATION or THE LAND•TAX.--A meeting
was held on Wednesday at the Court-house, Fort-street, for
the purpose of considering the propriety of memorializing the
Commissioners of land-tax on the subject of the unequal
proportion of Land-tax payable by the liberty of the Tower
of London; Mr. Hodson in the chair. The inequality in
the rates imposed upon the several dis'ricts of the Tower
Hamlets as land-tax was briefly stated by the chairman ;
one pariah paying at the rate of 13/4d. in the pound, whilst
in their immediate neighbourhood (the old Artillery-ground)
they were charged 2s. 3d. in the pound. If the tax were
equalized, an uniform rate of sd. or 6d. in the pound would
raise the lame sum as was at present unequally and unjustly
assessed. He then moved that a memorial be presented,
praying " that in lieu of the preseht unequal assessments, an
equalized rate in the pound on all property should be
adopted." The resolution and memorial were unanimously
agreed to. A vote of thanks to the chairman concluded the
proceedings.

THE SOMERSET HousE MODELS.—We hear that
Captain Inglefield, R.N., son of the deceased Admiral, has
superintended the arrargements of the Somerset House
models for the Great Exhibition, and that on all hand; it is
admitted that the work has been judiciously, tastefully, and
admirably exc,cuted.__

' OFF DARTMOUTH, MAY s.—Wind N.N.E.—Arrd. Mary St.
Croix, and not from Santa Cruz; Celeutaa, Loudon for
Antigua, with damage from contact.