The Sun.
London, England, 1869-04-17 00:00:00

THE ALBERT MEDAL

The Queen has been graciously pleased to confer the
decoration of "The Albert Medal of the Second Class"
on Mr. James Crowden, chief officer, second class, of the
coastguard station at Muchals. The following is an
account of the services in respect of which the decoration
has been conferred:—The schooner Kinloss was wrecked
at Scatraw Creek, a mile and a half from Muchals, on
the 21st of December, 1868. Mr. James Crow-
den, the chief officer at Muchals Station, pro-
ceeded with his boat's crew to Scatraw, and
found the ship breaking up fast. The fishermen of the
place had succeeded in getting a rope from the vessel, by
which it was hoped that the lives of those on board would
he saved. Mr. Crowden ventured out on to a rocky point
and endeavoured to fasten a life•belt to the rope in order
to send it out to the ship, but without success. While
striving to perform this operation, Mr. Crowden was
several times washed off into the sea. Once a heavy sea
swept him off and carried him about one hundred
yards towards the wreck, and it was thought that he
was lost ; but, after struggling for a few minutes, he
was carried round a point by a violent run of the sea,
and thrown upon the rocks with such violence, how-
ever, that he became insensible and received a severe
contusion on the left knee. When he recovered his senses
Mr. Crowden succeeded in getting a coble launched, and
was the first to jump into it. He and his men (four in
number) hauled off to the ship by the rope, and succeeded
in taking four men from the mast and bringing them
ashore. On being informed that there was still
another man on board, Mr. Crowden and his crew
hauled off again to the wreck ; but the man was dead or
dying, and in such a position that it was impossible to
extricate him. A very heavy sea was running at the time
of the rescue, and the coble might have been dashed upon
the rocks at any moment. Mr. Crowden was fourteen
days upon the sick list in consequence of the injuries he
received in being washed off and dashed against the rocks
This is the fourth time that Mr. Crowden has been
instrumental in saving life from shipwreck, and, including
the present instance, he has aided in the rescue of thirteen
lives.

A board of arbitration and conciliation bas been
established in the Sheffield filo trade.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton writes thus of the
Women's Rights' prospect twenty years hence :—" Twenty
years! Why, I expect to be walking the golden streets
of the New Jerusalem by that time, talking with Noah,
Moses, and Aaron about the flood, the Pharaohs, the

journey through the Red Sea and the Wilderness. We'shail-
be holding conventions by that time on the banks of the Jor-
dan, with Eve, Sarah, Rebecca, Huldah, Debora, Miriam,
Ruth, Naomi, Sheba, Esther, Vashti, Mary, Elizabeth,
Priscilla and Phoebe, Tryphena, and Trvphosa, and all the
strong-minded women honourably mentioned in sacred
history. Do you not know that I have vowed never to
go disfranchised into the Kingdom of Heaven? In the
meantime, I propose to discuss sanitary and sumptuary
laws, finance and free trade, religion and railroads, educa-
tion and elections in the councils of the American Republic.
Twenty years ! Why, every white male in the nation
will be tied to an apron•string by that time, while all the
poets and philosophers will be writing essays on The
Sphere of Man.'"

THE BALLOON VOYAGE ACROSS THE ATLANTIC.—
Mons. A. Chevalier, the distinguished aeronaut, who
lately arrived in this city for the purpose of making
balloon voyage hence to Europe, has leased Landinann's
Park, Sixty-seventh-street and Third-avenue, where he
will make several ascents during the next two months,
prior to his final departure on his great Transatlantic
voyage, which will he on the 31st of July. More than
100 applications have been received by M. Chevalier from
persons desirous to accompany him on his perilous trip.
The price fixed for the passage is 250 dollars, and not all
who offer themselves at that price will be accepted by the
Professor as compagnons du voyage, as he wishes to take
with him only such persons as are capable, through mental
and physical qualifications, of assisting him in his scien-
tific observations, for the sake of which, chiefly, the daring
project is undertaken.—New York Tribune.

TESTIMONIAL TO THE RIGHT HON. W. COWPER,
M.P.—On Thursday evening a large gathering of the
ormer constituents of the Eight Hon. W. Cowper, ALP.,
met that gentleman at the Shire Hall, Hertford, for the
purpose of presenting him with a testimonial, which had
been subscribed for by about 300 Hertfordshire men of
both parties. The testmonial was accompanied by an ad-
dress written on vellum, and consisted of a vase, two class-
jugs, and four silver-gilt goblets. The testimonial was
nresented by Mr. Jasper Gripper, one of the oldest of
Mr. Cowper's supporters. Amcngst those present were
Earl Cowper, Hon. Henry Cowper, M.P., the Ladies
Cowper, most of the principal inhabitants of the town,
and a large number of working men. Mr. Cowper, in
acknowledging the testimonial, expressed deep regret at
severing a connection which had lasted for thirty-four
years, during which almost every political object for
which the Liberal party had fought had been attained.
The hon. gentleman also expressed the pleasure he felt at
the testimonial being deprived of a party character by
the way in which the Conservatives had united in sup-
porting it.
THE CHILD OF THE THEATRE.—An odd incident
(says the Orchestra) occurred in the green-room at Niblo's
(New York) the other evening, when one of the corps de
ballet brought in a new-born female child, which she had
found in a dust-cart, where it had been deposited, it is to
be presumed, by its disconsolate parents. Lively
sympathy was excited in behalf of the miserable little
outcast, for whom " a benefit " was started on the spot,
resulting in the collection of a sum of money,
which was given to the girl who had discovered
the bantling. It was further proposed, that as
the ceremony of baptism had probably not been
solemnised on the occasion of committing the infant " to
the dust," that a name should be conferred upon it. The
proposal was hailed with acclamation, and carried out in
irreverent fashion. Mr. Jarrett, Mr. Palmer, and Mr.
Henderson stood godfathers, Miss Lydia Thompson god-
mother, and Mr. Beckett officiated as a sort of lay priest.
The foundling received the imposing four-act appellation
of Lydia Palmer Henderson Jarrett. The scene was ren-
dered all the more incongruous from the fact that every-
body, with the exception of the managers, was dressed
e
in the costume of the extravaganza ; and the
ceremony reminded one forcibly of the dress rehearsal of
a sensation melodrama.

LIFE PEERAGES.—EarI Russell's bill for enabling
peers oreated for life, under certain limitations and restric-
tions, to sit and vote in the House of Lords, is published.
The restrictions are that not more than twenty-eight
such peerages created with such power shall be in exist-
ence at any one time; that not more than four shall be
created in any one year ; that the persons so created shall
be selected from the following classes (the class to be
specified in the patent of creation), viz.:-1. Peers of
Scotland or Ireland. 2. Persons who have been mem-
bers of the House of Commons upwards of ten years.
3. Officers of the army and navy eminent for distin-
guished services. 4. Persons who have held the offices
of Lord Chancellor, Lord Chief Justice of the Queen's
Bench and Common Pleas, Lord Chief Baron, and Lord
Justice General id Scotland, or who shall have held for
two years and have ceased to hold any of the following
offices, viz., Puisne, Chancery, Court of Probate and
Divorce, and Admiralty judgeships ; the office of Attorney.
General for England or Ireland, of Lord Advocate of
Scotland, and of Queen's Advocate General for England.
5. Persons distinguished for their attainments in science,
literature, or art. 6. Persons who shall have performed
services to the Crown in any public office for a term of
not less than five years with ability and fidelity entitling
them to some mark of special favour. Of course it is not
proposed to interfere with prerogative of tla9 Croft to
eauto -
Tatritialife.