The Sun.
London, England, 1860-05-16 00:00:00

ROYAL VISIT TO THE FLORAL HALL.

Her Majesty the Queen and his Royal Highness the
Prince Consort honoured the new Floral Hall adjoining the
Royal Italian Opera-house, with a visit last evening. The
Queen having signified her intention of being present at
the performance of " Fra Diavolo" last night, arrange-
ments were made to enable her Majesty to enter the theatre
through the Floral Hall—illuminated as upon the occasion
of the late Volunteer Ball. The Royal party arrived
about nine o'clock, and alighted at the Piazza entrance of
the new building, where Mr. (dye was in attendance to
receive her Majesty. The Queen, on entering, appeared
much interested with the beautiful proportions of
the hall, and, after promenading for several minutes,
her Majesty expressed her unqualified admiration of the
building, which, it was explained, was about to be opened
as a vast metropolitan flower market. The Queen left the
hall by the staircase leading to the crush room, and thence
proceeded to the Royal box, where her Majesty, with the
Prince Consort and the Princess Alice, remained until the
close of the opera.

The Duke of Beaufort is entertaining a large
circle of his sporting friends at Bedminster during the
race meeting at Bath.
The Duke of Somerset, as first Lord of the
Admiralty, will give a full dress banquet on Friday next,
in celebration of her Majesty's birthday', to the heads of
the several departments of the navy.
The Duke and Duchess of Northumberland en-
tertained the Earl and Countess Amherst, Lord Redeedale
and the Hon. Miss Mitford, and a select party at dinner
last evening at Northumberland House.
The Marquis and Marchioness of Westminster
and Lady Theodora Grosvenor have arrived at Grosvenor
House from Motcombe House, Dorset, for the seaspn.
The Earl and Countess of Derby will be honoured
by the company of their Royal Highnesses the Duchess of
Cambridge and the Princess Mary at dinner on the 25th
instant. The noble earl and countess have cards out for
dinner parties on the 18th and 23d inst.
Lord and Lady Leconfield arrived yesterday at
their residence in Grosvenor-place, from Petworth llouse,
Sussex.

THE FUNERAL OF SIR CHARLES BARRY.--We
are requested to state that the funeral of the late
Sir Charles Barry will take place at Norwood Cemetery
on Friday next, at three pm. The procession will leave
Clapham at half-past one.
THE BRAZIL TRADE.—It has been determined
that the next ship of the Anglo-Luso-Bracilian Royal
Mail Steam Company shall sail from Liverpool, in com-
pliance with the request of many influential merchants in
the Brazil trade, Milford Haven laving been found incon-
venient.
THE DEANERY OF DERRY.—This deanery, says
the Dublin Daily Express, will not be so valuable as it was,
as the Lord Lieutenant has the power of severing the
parishes of Glendermot and Faughanode from it, which
would make it not worth more than £1,400. If this is done
the present perpetual curates of these parishes become the
incumbents.
THE REGISTRY OF THE PROBATE COURT.—We
are requested to state that owing to the provisions of statute
23 Victoria, cap. 15, sect. 4, a fresh form of affidavit for
the Inland Revenue-office has been adopted in the Court of
Probate, which it will henceforward be necessary to follow.
The proposal for the Great Northern Palace
Company having been temporarily withdrawn, a prospec-
tus was issued yesterday of the Muswell-hill Land Com-
pany for securing the estate which had been selected as the
site for that undertaking. The proposed capital is £140,000
in £lO shares. The property consists of 457 acres within
five miles from King's-cross, on the Great Northern line,
and the purchase money is to be £135,000, of which £70,000
will be taken in shares. A deposit of £15,000 will accom-
pany the signing of the agreement, and the remaining
£50,000 will be allowed to run on for three years at 5 per
cent. interest, at the end of which time the company will
have the option of declining to complete the purchase,
and of receiving back the £15,000 deposit. It is eon-
templateg to let the land for villas, but 150 acres will be
reserved for the intended palace.
It appears that the number of vessels in China
waters at the date of the last advises disengaged, exclusive
of coasters, was of an aggregate tonnage of 16,000 tons,
after deducting those lately engaged by Government as
transports and stone ships at 21s. to 225. per register ton
per month. The number of vessels on their way from
Europe, America, India, ecc., was of an aggregate tonnage
of 40,000 to 45,000 tons.

MANCHESTER TRADE REPORT.--The market
was ♦ery quiet yesterday, with a very limited amount of
transactions. The tendency of prices was downwards, but
the producers were well under contract ; therefore d• not,
as a rule, listen to offers at very much reduced rates.

The following is a return of the number of cotton
laden ships reported at sea bound to Liverpool, with the
amount of cotton on board:-77 ships from New Orleans
with 226,122 bales ; 18 ships from Mobile 58,177 bales ; 9
ships from savannah with 16,695 bales ; 8 ships from Apa-
lachicola with 10,791 bales; 12 ships from Charleston with
26,686 bales ; 5 ships front Galveston with 3,791 bales ; 1
ship from New York with 1,310 bales ; 28 ships from Bom-
bay with 73,819 bales—making a total of 158 ships, with
417,491 bales.

The trade of the port of Liverpool continues in
excess of 1859, the returns of the entries inwards and out.
wards of vessels to foreign and colonial ports from the Ist
January last being —Reportel inwards : 1860, 1,696 ships,
937,900 tons; 1859, 1,573 ships, 776,891 tons; increase in
ships, 123 ; increase in tonnage, 211,009. Reported out-
wads : 1860, 1,896 ships, 1,051,538 tons; 1859, 1,678 ships,
829,449 tons; increase in ships, 218; increase in tons,
222,089.

SUSPECTED MURDER IN STIOREDITCII.—Yester-
day morning the body of a female with marks of violence
upon it was discovered in a house in Phillip-street, Shore-
ditch. It is suspected that death has been caused by the
hand of her paramour.

PLYMOUTH, TUESDAY MORNING.—The iron
screw steam storeship Himalaya, Captain John Seccomb,
from Barbadoes, April 17, and Bermuda, May 3, bound to
Portsmouth, with eight companies of the 41st Regiment,
under command of Major Bush, and ten companies of the
49th, commanded by Colonel Grant, put into the Sound
this morning, with screw deranged.
CHARLESTON CONVENTION—HOW THEY MANAG E
THINGS IN THE STATES.—The greatest excitement prevails
in the city—angry discussions everywhere. At the dinner-
table to-day afracas took place between two members of the
Ohio delegation at the Mills House. They threw plates at
each other, then one drew a pistol and the other clinched,
when they wero separated by friends. Tho quarrel was
about Mr. Douglas. Last night Colonel Craig, member of
Congress from Missouri, and a newspaper reporter fromthat
state, had a rough and tumble fight at the Mills House,
which they are to settle in another fashion when they go
home. To-night, about 11 o'clock, Captain Levy and a
gentleman named White had an altercation in the bar-
room, which resulted in the explosion of a pistol in the
pocket of Levy, fortunately without injury to him. A duel
is on the tap's.

THE IRISH PAPAL TRTBuTE.—Although some-
what late in the field, Archbishop M'Hale seems resolved
to make amends for past dilatoriness by a vigorous use of
the spiritual spurs upon the consciences of the faithful in
the diocess of Tuam. Two preliminary meetings have
been held to make arrangements for the collection which is
to be made on Pentecost Sunday. At the last of these
meetings Dr. M'Hale opened the list with his own sub-
,cription of 100 guineas. "This grand and glorious ex-
ample," says his Dublin organ, "was infectious, and was
followed by a running fire of donations, ranging from 2s.
to £l." In every part of the diocess the enthusiasm is
intense, and, although people may talk of the existence of
starvation in the West, it is gratifying to learn, on com-
petent authority, "that this magnificent commencement
of the movement practically and unmistakably proves that
the collection for his Holiness will be worthy alike of our
illustrious Archbishop, his clergy, and his people."
DISTRESSING CASE.—The inhabitants of Edin-
burgh
have within these few days heard with painful sur-
prise that Hector Mackay, son of the late Mr. Charles
Mackay, of the Theatre Royal, Edinburgh, has been tried
in Canada on a charge of knurder, and being found guilty by
the jury, has been condemned to be executed on the 7th of
June next. From the few particulars which have reached

us, it appears that Hector- Mackay held the office of a
constable, and having been ordered by a magistrate to
pursue and secure a fugitive from justice, a struggle en-
sued, in wh eh, as it would seem, for self-defence, Mackay
drew his pistol and shot his antagonist. Supposing this to
be the nature of the case, ono cannot understand how the
act could be construed into the crime of murder; for there
was obviously neither premeditation nor malice prepense to
invest it with this serious character. At all events, the
unhappy young man, as we understand, lies in prison at
Perth, Canada West, waiting the dread execution of the
law. The intelligence of the circumstance has given the
greatest possible pain to all who remember the many ex-
cellent and venial qualities of the late Mr. Mackay, who
may be said to have gained a world-wide celebrity by his
personation of the immortal Bailie Nicol Jarvie, of Sir
Walter Scott. Moved by every good feeling, a humble and
respectful petition to Sir E. W. Head, Governor-General of
Canada, has been signed by a large number of our leading
citizens, headed by the Lord Provost, praying that his ex-
cellency will take the case of the unfortunate Hector
Mackay into his merciful consideration, and commute or
remit his sentenco. The petition left by the mail on Satur-
day, and wo earnestly trust that its prayer may be success-
ful, at least so far as commuting the capital punishment.—
Ayeobinan.