The Sun.
London, England, 1860-08-04 00:00:00

STAFFORD ELECTION.

STAFFORD, FRIDAY.
The poll commenced at eight o'clock this morning. From
the earliest hour the supporters of the Liberal candidate
(Mr. Alderman Sidney) were in the highest spirits, and,
bringing their men rapidly to the hustings at the Shirehall,
soon took the lead on the poll, and placed their candidate
in such a. position as effectually to dishearten their oppo-
nents, and to leave them little chance of success. At twelve
o'clock the poll stood thus:—
Alderman Sidney 716
Lord Sandon
Majority for Sidney
Soon afterwards the friends of Lord Sandon withdrew
him from the poll, and Mr. Sidney is accordingly elected,
beating the Conservative by more than two to one.

THE PROROGATION.—It was generally rumoured
about the house on Friday night that the prorogation will
take place on the 25th inst.—Era.
THE FIGHT ON MONDAY NIGHT.—It was stated
in the lobbies on Friday night that the Government calcu-
lated upon a majority of twelve.—Era.
The Scotsman says, if there is a majority against
the Government on the question of the Customs' duty on
paper, Mr. Gladstone, we are informed, will certainly re-
tire, and, according to present intentions, and if Lord Pal-
merston can have his way, Mr. Gladstone's retirement
would be accompanied by a general resignation of the
Ministry. A meeting of the whole Liberal party, sum-
moned by Lord Palmerston, is to be held early on Monday,
when it is expected that the Premier will announce that
the defeat of Mr. Gladstone's proposal will be followed
either by a resignation of the Ministry or a dissolution of
Parliament.
His Royal Highness the General Commanding-
in-Chief will hold a Levee at one o'clock on 'Wednesday
next, the Bth inst.
The Earl and Clitintess of Derby and Lady Emma
Stanley intend to remain in town until after the marriage of
Lord Skelmersdale and Lady Alice Villiers, second daugh-
ter of the Earl and Countess of Clarendon.
The Earl Spencer, who came to town from
I Osborne on Wednesday evening, left by railway the same
evening for Yorkshire.
Viscount and Viscountess Barrington are about
to receive a distinguished circle at Beckett-house, Berks.
Their Royal Highnesses the Duchess of Cambridge and
Princess Mary, and the Hereditary Grand Duke and Grand
Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, will honour the noble
Viscount and Viscountess with their company.
Lord and Lady Headley and family have left
town for Orford House, Surrey.
LORD CLYDE AND THE LONDON SCOTTISH
VOLUNrEERS.—This noble and gallant officer has con-
sented in the kindest manner to become Honorary Colonel
of the London Scottish Volunteer Rifles.
LONGEVITY.—WiIIiam Ball, the centenarian of
Browne's Hospital, Stamford, entered upon his 104th year
on Wednesday last. His health is good, and he is tolera-
bly active ; he is an early riser, and yesterday morning par-
took of breakfast prepared by himself at half past six.
Another inmate has reached the advanced age of 97.
Stamford _Mercury.
DEATH OF MISS VAXDENHOFF.—We announce,
with deep regret, that Miss Vandenhoff (Mrs. Swinbourne)
died in Birmingham on Tuesday last. She was the daughter
of Mr. Vandenhoff, the eelebrated tragedian, and was her-
self an eminent actress.
The Illessager de Paris, after mentioning the
arrival in Paris of General Turr from the Baths of Aix,
whither he had gone for the treatment of the wound
which he received at Calatafima and Palermo, states that
the General is about to return and resume the command of
his brigade.
PORTLAND, August 2.—The fleet of blockships,
under the command of Commodore Yelverton, returned to
Portland to-day (Thursday). The following vessels are
now at anchor in that harbour :—Colossus, 80 ; Majestic,
80 ; Blenheim, 60 ; Ajax, 60 Russell, 60 Cornwallis,
60 ; Hogue, 60 ; Edinburgh, 60% Dauntless, 31; Pembroke,
60 ; llawke, 60 ; the screw steam tender Argus, and the
gunboat Biter.
' CURIOUS BEQUEST.—The Italian journals state
that a wealthy person, of Florence, just deceased, has left
a singular will. It declares that the greater part of his
fortune shall go to the man with the largest hump on his
back in all Tuscany, and that the persons entrusted with
the duty of selecting him shall be themselves 12 humpbacks.
To recompense the latter for their trouble he directs that,
in addition to travelling expenses. each shall be presented
with a gold medal bearing the effigy of lEsop, their proto-

type.
THE GREAT EASTERN.—The shares of the
Great Ship Company continue to decline, the last quota-
tion yesterday afternoon being Es. 6d. to 95., partly on a
report that the Grand Trunk Railway Company of Canada
are about to institute a claim of £60,000 for damages,
through breach of contract in the vessel having been sent
to New York instead of Portland. One of the members of
the board sent in hii resignation to-day.—Times.
The command of the Cavalry Depot at Maidstone
may be expected to become vacant very soon, as Colonel
Balders stands second on the list for promotion to the rank
of Major-General. Although the Canterbury Depot com-
prises the depot troops of six cavalry regiments, and the
Maidstone but three, the commandant of the latter receives
double pay, while the former is simply remunerated as a
lieut.-colonel of cavalry. Clearly the officer who has the
larger work and responsibility ought to receive the larger
remuneration ; and we trust that upon Colonel Balders'
vacation of Maidstone, either Colonel Gibsone, the present
excellent commandant at Canterbury, will be appointed to
it, or that the pecuniary advantage may be associated with
the more onerous appointment which he now holds.—Army
and Navy Gazette.
The vacant cavalry regiment, as we anticipated
in our impression of the 21st ult., has been conferred on
Major-General William Beckwith, whose service and senio-
rity very fairly entitle him to the preferment. Lieutenant-
Geaeral Clark Kennedy is transferred from the Carabineers
to the Scots Greys ; Sir James Jackson gives up the colonelcy
of the Inniskilling Dragoons for that of his old corps, the
Carabineers ; and the Inniskillings will be filled by Major-
General Beckwith. The death of Sir Henry Murray ren-
dors vacant the colonelcy of the 14th Light Dragoons, to
which, in all probability, Major-General Maclean will suc-
ceed. His services are more distinguished than those of
any other cavalry general not yet appointed to a regiment.
The 17th Regiment, vacant by the death of Lieut.-General
Wemyss, remains unfilled. Army and Navy Gazette.
RAPHAELS APOLLO AND MARSYAS AT ROME.—
The sensation created at Rome by Raphael's famous
painting of Apollo and Marsyas increases hourly. Romans
and foreigners vie with each other in extolling its beauty,
and so numerous are the applicants to see it that to show
it privately ins olves at times no slight inconvenience. The
president of the Academy of St. Luke and Professor
Minardi. together with various other leading con-
noisseurs, native and foreign, have loudly and
repeatedly declared that the only right place for
it is the Vatican Gallery; that there it would
shine as the long missing page in the work of the master,
the nudity of the figures, their transcendent and classical
beauty, the rarity of the subject and the luxuriance of the
details rendering it of especial and paramount importance.
No one here has a doubt of its authenticity;
for, sur-
rounded as it here is by works of every period of the
master, itself proclaims its high origin as forcibly as though
Raphael himself were come to attest it.