The Sun.
London, England, 1856-11-11 00:00:00

RUSSIAN FORTIFICATIONS IN THE

BA

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FRONTIERS OP FINLAND, Nov. I.—The experi-
ence of the late war has opened the eyes of Russia
to the inadequacy of her coast defences, and shown
how exposed are her frontiers in Finland, and how
open to any attack on the seaboard from hostile
fleets. During the war the Governor-General of
Finland, Count, von Berg, was ordered to do his
utmost to strengthen the existing coast defences,
and sending in plans for constructing new naval
fortresses iu the province under his command.
The subject engrossed the attention of the late
Emperor of Russia, and his repeated visits of in-
spection to the north are matters well known.
Soon afterwards orders were given to build a strong
fort on the island of Kasko, in the Gulf of Bothnia,
commanding the entrance to a deep and spacious
harbour, and destined to make good the loss ex-
perienced by the fall of Bomarsund.
All along this line of coast for a distance of four
hundred miles there were no fortified places. Brahe-
stad, Uleaborg, Christinenstad, Lowisa, `Vasa, and
Carleby were only commercial ports, and it is only
at Hango Head and the neighbouring Gustays-
vaern that any fortified works are to be found.
In order to protect the coast for the future Russia
has now decided on constructing five new fortresses,
the preliminary arrangements for which have been
made this summer, and the ground marked out.
One of these is situated in the extreme northernly
corner of the Gulf of Buy 'mitt, a very short distance
from the frontier town of Tornea. The selection
of the locality appears to be well made and likely
to answer the purpose for which it is intended.
and
de ricer
promontoryLimie,lf flo
of sd
wsiutoatnhe gulf at this spot,
o.Saari, when the
proposed batteries are erected, will sufficiently pro-
tect the entrance to a beautiful aid spacious har-
bour. As the soil all about the place is favourable
for agriculture, and there are roads communicating
with all parts of the interior, it is proposed to lay
out a new town, and by grantino• certain privileges
and facilities it is expected that many settlers
will be be attracted.

Major-General William j.
Butterworth, of the East
India Company's servi3e, expired at his residence, Mill-
FT,,use, In Giiildkri, on Tuesday la,t, the 4 h
after a lirigtitig iiill qg '.tche &ceased gentiemin

r0,q!1,(3. tfio post of (}vernor c.
Prince Lland, Singapore, and Malacca, which
her held of
dfro‘mValtehe year 1843 to 1855, on account of the
declining state of his health.

lit 1.1 £ .A. 14 D.

DUBLIN, MONDAY.

An influential meeting of noblemen and gentle
men connected with Belfast and the adjoining
counties was held on Friday, at the Royal Hotel,
Belfast, for the purpose of promoting a speedy
communication between the, northern portions of
the two countries by a short sea transit for mails
and passengers via Donaghadee and Portpatrick.
The'Mayor of Belfast presided, and ammo' those
who took a part in the proceedings were Viscount
Dalrymple, M.P., Lord Dularin, Mr. W. Shar-
man Crawford, homas M'Clure, Lieut.-Colonel
Ferguson, &c. A general conversation ensued,
and, in reply to a question, Lord Dalrymple
stated that he had reason to know that, im-
mediately on the company obtaining their
a.cts the Government would be prepared to
undertake the necessary outlay upon the har-
bours at Portpatrick and Donaghadee. A sub-
scription was then eutered'into, and almost every
ir leuileman present attached his name thereto, and.
''the total, including subscriptions previously re-
' c‘ived in Belfast and neighbourhood, amounted to
upwards of 80,000/. A committee was then ap-
pointed to obtain further subscriptions ; and,
after passing resolutions, the meeting, which was
l'inarked throughout by the greatest Unanimity ad-
_

_ .
journed. 11-
Tue n.t rental of the land 4 posted for sale in the
lacumbered Estates Court for the present month
alone amounts to 27,0001. per annum.
The Cork :reporter has the following particulars
of a disastrous collision off the Cork eoast :

About 4 o'clock on Tnursday m ;ruing a collision took
place off Cape Clear, which. resulted in the total loss of
me of the vessels', the schooner Mary Macklin, of this
pert, Shea, master. The scholner, which was on its way
to Cahirciveen, freighted by Burke Brothers, merchants
this city, with a largo cargo of 'lndian corn, came in
collision with the Mangerton l3teamer of Limerick, Bou-
chier, master, bound to London with a general cargo,
and went down about half-past 12 o'clock, having floated
for eight hours after the collision. It seems strange that
the steamer made no efforts to run her aground in some
pert durkg the interval. She picked off the crew, how-
ever, and dropped into Queenstown with them on Thurs-
day afternoon. The Mary Macklin was the joint pro-
perty of Mr. Henessy, deputy harbour master, and of
Mrs. Paisley, widow of the late Mr. J. Paisley, of Pas-
sage. This is the second vessel which the Mangerton has
run down.

The gallant veteran, General Lord Gough, enter-
tained 150 of the tenantry of his Loughcooter
estate, in the county of Galway, at a hospitable
feast fast week.

The remains of the late Earl of Brandon were
consigned to their last resting place with all, doe,
solemnity on Friday last.

MISS FOLLY MAhSHALL.

In the fettilleton of the Courrier des Etat Unis,
published on the 13th ult., at New York, there
appears the following enthusiastic tribute of ad-
miration to one of the youngest of our old London
favourites—Miss Polly Marshall—a pretty little
light comedian, whcso glancing feet and sparkling
eyes have already justified our predictions of
their glamour to the full, by winning the heart of
Brother Jonathan with the mere force of their
capriciousbut irresistible fascination !—"I suppose
you know her, thiS griskte, this soubrette, this
coquette, this plump, sparkling, roguish, little
one ! She whose name is made for her, and who is
made for her named For how ,otherwise could you
call her than Polly ? Polly is in her every linea
ment! And; when that is said, you divine at once
that the glance of her merry eye is side-long, that
her nose is just the least bit in the world turned-up
(what we call retrousse), that her mouth is laugh-
ing, that her face is dimpled, that her boddiee is
voluptuously proportioned, that the skirt of her
ample dress is piquantly looped up at the Waist,
that her feet are daintily ' peaked ' upon heels of
scarlet morocco ! I know not if she is pretty, but
I am quite sure shEs is most charming, and that
she keeps you.in a state of delight with a word, a
a look, a movement, the merest nothing ! Shp
laughs to admiration, and weeps to distraction.
And, beyond all this, she knows so well how to
attire herself !—a merit so rare, so very rare,
in our American theatres ! Her head-dress alone
has about it a jaunty air that provokes apiiliuse
upon the instant, and from %head to foot the rest
other costume is in perfect keeping. Best of all,
however, is the circumstance that under all this, ,
under the superficial graces of person, toilet, voice,
gesture, and deportment, there are evidences of a
talent most real,of inspirations most happy,of comic
powers most gay, original, and delightful. HOne,...StlY
I know nothing more exhilarating in its way tu* :"f
to see her take part with Burton in the farce
Twice Killed. To a itness their joint patformanco
in it, is to die of laughing not twice, but a dozen
times I Each has experience of somewhat the same
emotions, but each gives expresmion to those com-
mon emotions after a fashion the most ludicrously
dissimilar. And the result is a medley of frights,
of dissimulations, of embarrassments, of tears, o
laughter, of agonies of dread and of explosions of
joy, beginning with the very beginning of the piece
and ending only with the fall of the curtain. If
you really desire to draw a fund of delight from
Mr. Burton's establishment, take every care to
choose an evening upon which you find the name
of Polly Marshall. on the playbills—and
mind,
above all things, that you are not dilatory in your
attendance at the doors, for upon those very nishts
the house contrives somehow to be crowded to
suffocation !" .

T.as THAATRES.

DRURY-LANE.

The very great success of the recent series of Italian
operas has induced the lessee of this theatre, in conjuve•
tion with Messrs. Beale and Co., to give another
series, which began last night. There is this difference,
however, in the scheme, that Mr. Smith makes use Of
his own regular company, in order to add Eng Hob
aft-rpieces to the Italian performances. The
Italian company is tho sams as before, with the
valuanle addition of Madame Rudersdorff, and the sub-
traction of Mario—the great tenor having gone to fulfil
his engagement at Parb,. Reichardt, we believe, is t 0
appear immediately, and some other rcinforcements are
tallied of. The entertainments of last night were
" Norma," followed by " Little Taddlekitiß," with
Charles Mathews in his amusing and favourite character,
and a divertissement: "Norma" was performed as be•
fore, the parts bein,Y su,tamed by Grisi, Sedlatzek,
Lorini, and Formes. Grisi sang and acted as finely el
ever, and the whole performanca was excellent and
successful.

Hi.,XMARKET.
Mr. I.`,.f.crloch apper4r.d last nigt,:, in the character of,
Charles Surface, in Sheridan's "School for Scandal.,
Mr. Murdoch plays the part in the traditional style, and
we do not think he could advantagecuidy do other
He is to be gay, careless, manly, sensual, and be is all
those in Mr. Murdoch's performance, and moreover
looks as if he were able to carry out all the extravagsle
cies he is accused of. He has a natural hilarity, also'
which very much helps these animal characters.
Mr. Chippendale's Sir Peter was gentlemanly ; and be
does not fail to make all the usual points. Miss Rey'
colds was, of course, Lady Teazle ; and she delineated
exceedingly well the lady of quality, who skims 011
the borders of criminality without actually wetting
her wing. Mr. Howe performed Joseph Surface With
sufficient smoothness ; Mr. Rogers was decisive in Sir
Oliver ; Mr. Clark laughable as Moses ; Mr. Braid
,aucy as Trip ; and Mr. Buckstone, as Sir Benjamin
Backbite ; and Mr. Compton, as Crabtree, made up the,
effect. Miss Talbot was a very charming Mrs. Candour I
and Mrs. Poynter a very acrid Lady Sneerwell.
The house was well attended, and the performance
was much enjoyed and approved.