The Sun.
London, England, 1869-05-14 00:00:00

AMERICAN LEGISLATORS.

The Stock Exchange (says the Pall Mall Gazette) may
take comfort from reading the New York Herald of the
28th ult., in which they will see that America has internal
dissensions which appear to occupy at present much of
her attention. A great part of that journal is taken
np, not with the Alabama claims, but with the details of
what is called the " Sprague Excitement," arising from a
scene in the Senate House at Washington, and a very
interesting and instructive narrative it is. Senator
Sprague, who is familiarly called " Little Rbody," made
use of the expression " puppy dog," which Senator Abbott
took to himself, and, accordir.g to the New York Herald,
threatened in private life to " wallup little Rhody from
the Capitol to George Town Height." It is not, there-
fore to be wondered at that, when Senator
Abbott came to the Senate House with these bloodthirsty
intentions, Senator Sprague took an early opportunity of
leaving it ; this made Senator Abbott more angry
than ever, and he expressed his intention of
having satisfaction outside the Senate. And here
we must express our deep regret that Senator Nye thought
fit to add fuel to the fire by shouting out, " Spank little
Spraguey ; spank him and send him to bed." The New York
_Herald states that this incident led to a great sensation in
Washington ; some had it that Senator Abbott had cow-
hided Senator Sprague ; others that be had pulled his
nose, boxed his ears, and otherwise heaped indignities
upon him. On the other hand, Sprague's admirers cir-
culated stories precisely the reverse, gi vino all the prowess
to "little Rhody," and annihilating Abbott, "the rotund
and muscular, as did David the gigantic Goliath." It is
therefore with intense relief that at the end of four
closely - printed columns devoted to minute details
of the affair, we read the followiog:—"The Abbott-
Sprague Imbroglio adjusted—No Faces slapped—Nobody
spanked -- No bloodshed Wounded Honour readily
healed." It appears that Senators Sumner, Sherman, and
Pool, after negotiations which occupied nearly four hours,
adjusted the difference ; Senator Sprague explained that
the term " puppy dog" was not intended for Senator
Abbott, who accepted the apology, and it is comforting to
read that at 11.30 p.m., April 26, " Abbott is jolly, ditto
Sprague."

Mr. O'Sullivan, ex Mayor of Cork, is lying ill in
Loudon from " over anxiety and mental excitement."
Some property in Westmeath was put up for sale
iu the Landed Estates Court, Dublin, on Tuesday, but the
biddings were so low that the sale was adjourned. The
landlord's solicitor attributed this weakness of the land
market to "the depression caused by the late agrarian
outrages."

A RIGHT REV, PRIVY COUNCILLOR.—At a Court
held by her Majesty at Windsor on Thursday the Bishop
of London attended, and, in accordance with the practice
observed towards the holders of the metropolitan see, his
lordship was sworn as a member of the Privy Council.
ANOTHER COTTON MILL BURNT DOWN.—At two
o'clock on Thursday morning a destructive fire broke out
in the cotton mill belonging to Messrs. Little and Smitb,
at Belmont, near Bolton. There was, unfortunately, no
fire-engine in the village, and none arrived until four hours
after the fire had been discovered. By this time the flames
had entirely destroyed the building, causing damage to the
extent of £20,000.

MORTALITY FROM SMALL-PDX IN GLASGOW.—
In 1787, when Glasgow contained about 50,000 inhabitants,
and when the aggregate mortality reached 1,759 persons,
small-pox carried off not fewer than 484, being nearly_one
out of every three and a half deaths, whereas now the
tieaths from small-pox have fallen, during 1808, to six, and
in the other seven chief cities and towns of Scotland com-
bined they only amounted to five ; thus, in an aggregate
town population of above 800,000, the deaths from small•
pox did not exceed eleven—all infancy.—Britide lllcdical
Journal.

LONDON WORKS AND IMPROVEMENTS.—At a
meeting of the Court of Common Council of the City of
London, -on Thursday, reports were received from two
Committees relative to the progress of Riad:friars Bridge
and the Holborn Viaduct. With respect to the former.
it was stated that although a considerable amount of work
yet remained to be done, there was every reason to believo
that the structure would be opened towards the end of
July. The committee asked for bowery to make arrange-
ments for a public ceremony on the orcaior, and these
were grant?..l. The totntnittee :sealer µbase superin-
tendeLee the Holborn 'Viaduct raised c%pressed
a hope that her Majesty would inaugurate that important
wta- k.

I CnAIR-DANCINO.—The following, signed "Veri-
tas," appears in the Northern Daily Express :—" Chair.
dancing and chair-flying seems at present much in vogue
among the believers in spirit rapping, &c. Peniit
me to inform you that chair-dancing occurred in a cele-
brated house in Sunderland one afternoon last week. Tht
proprietor and a toy being engaged in the kitchen, a
chair, without any visible agency, commenced dancing
into the middle of the room on one leg, and returned
again, after going through a variety of capers, to its
original place in the kitchen. Both parties became
alarmed, the proprietor so much so as to be unable foe
some time to follow his usual employment. Can any
of your readers or believers in spiritualism explain the
phenomena?"