The Sun.
London, England, 1860-11-26 00:00:00

ON, MONDAY ESENING, NOVEMBER 26, HO .
E SUN, LOND

THE LATE LIEUT.-COL. ROBT. MACDONALD, C.B.
—ln Lieut.-Col. Macdonald another Waterloo veteran has
passed away, at the advanced age of 82. This officer com-
menced his career in 1797, as ensign in the Strathspey Re-
giment of Fencib'e Infant/ y. On its reduction he entered
the Surrey Rangers as lieutenant in 1799, and solved in
North America. In 1803 he was appointed ensign in the
Ist Royals, and in the same year be sailed with the 2d bat-
talion of that corps for the West Indies, where, as brigade-
majcr to Brigadier-tieneral Nicholson, he was engaged at
the siege of Fort Bourbon and capture of Martinique in
1809. In 1812 he joined the 3d battalion Royal Scots in
its retreat from Burgos, and served in the Peninsular cam-
paigns of 1813-14 ; was engaged at Osma on the 18th, and
the battle of Vittoria the 21st of June; at the successful
assault on the Convent of St. Sebastian on July 17; and,
though severely wounded on July 25, at the assault on the
town, on Aug. 31 he volunteered to the breach in command
of two companies of the Royals, ordered in advance of the
Ist Brigade, .sth Division, and was on duty in the town
during the conflagrat ion, and present at the surrender of
the Castle of St. Sebastian, Sept. 8. The wound received
at St. Sebastian subsequently compelled him to use his left
hand in wilting: For his conduct at this siege he obtained
the rank of major on Sept. 21, 1813. He was engaged at
the passage of the Bidassoa, on the 7th of October ; at the
battles of Nivelle, on Nov. 10, end the Nive on Dec. 9, 10,
and 11, 1813. The gellent officer assisted in repelling the
sonle from the citadel of Bayonne on April 14, 1814, and
served with the 3d Battalion Royal Scots in the campaign
of the Netherlands, 1815. He was present and engaged,
on June 16 and 18, at the battles of Quatrebeas and Water-
loo. At Waterloo, Colonel Campbell, commanding, being
wounded early in the afternoon, Major Macdonald tookthe
command of the 3d battalion. Here, near the close of the
action, being exposed on an eminence rallying his men, he
became a mark, and fell wounded by a ba'l in the hip, and
was for a time leZ.; for dead, but was ultimately conveyed
to Draw:win For these actions he was made a Companion
cf the Order of the Bath, and received from the Emperor
the Order of St. Anne of Russia, After commanding for
some time the 35th Foot, the deceased officer, compelledlby
ill-heel th, in 1831 reluctantly quitted the service, receiving
in 1849 away medal,withfive clasps.
HER MAJESTY'S SHIP SHANNON.— A handsome
monument has been erected on Southsea-common, Poi ts-
mouth,*by the officers and crew of Her Majesty's ship Shan-
non, to the memory of the late Sir William Peel, captain of
the Shannon, who died in India of a wound received at the
head of his indomitable Naval Brigade during the Sepoy
mutiny. The monument is a square pillar of polished red
granite, on the four faces of which are inscriptions, with
I base, cap, and cornices of gray Aberdeen granite, the whole
surmounted by a trophy of flags and naval emblems in
bronze, cast from a gun taken at the capture of Lucknow,
and which was afterwards presented to the Naval Brigade
by General Lori Clyde, then Sir Colin Campbell. On the
nor:h side is the following inscription :—" Sacred to the
memory of Capt. William Peel, K.C.8., and Capt. Thomas
' Grey, R.M., Mr. 11. P. Garvey, mate, Mr. M. A. Daniel,
midshipman, and the seamen and marines of the Shannon's
Naval Brigade who fell employed in the North-West Pro-
vinces of India during the mutiny of 1857-8.. As a tribute
of their gallantry this monument is erected by the officers
and men of her Majesty's ship Shannon. 1860." On the
west side—" The Shannon's Naval Brigade, with six 8-inch
guns end four fieldpieces, left Celcutta for the North-West
Provinces Aug. 1857. Served at the battle of Kedjiva, Oct
29, 1857; relief of Lucknow, Nov., 1857 ; defeat of the
Gwalior Contingent, December, 1857 ; Battle of Kula-
Nudde-bridge, January, 1858 ; capture cf Lucknow, March,
1858; and returned to the Shannon, August, 1853." On
the east and south sides the inscriptions relate to the pre-
sentation of the gun from which the trophy was cast, and
give the numbers of the brigade who fell in action, were
wounded, or died of disease during the campaign. It is in-
tended to inclose the monument with guns taken during
the Crimean campaign, in which also Sir Wm. Peel, with
many of the Indian Naval Brigade, had formerly distin-
guished themselves. The 'Work has been executed by Messrs.
W. and J. Freeman, of Westminster,
THE ARMSTRONG GUN.--A very extraordinary
and serious accident occurred on board of her Majesty's
gunnery ship Excellent, in Portsmouth harbour, on the
16th inst., which has been the subject of anxious delibera-
tion among the naval scientific officers of the port. The men
were at practice with the 42-pounder Armstrong g an,which
is still under trial before final introduction to the service ;
on the word being given, and the lanyard pulled as usual,
a concussion took place, which instantly proved to those
standing about that something had gone wrong. On exami-
nation it was found that the handles of the heavy vent-
piece which blocks the chamber of the gun were blown
completely off, and passing along the deck to a distance of
over 50 feet. they shuck and shattered the bulkheads of the
sick bay, and smashed the bottles therein. It was evident
that the breech sc:ew was not "home,'' and therefore that
the vent piece had not been properly jammed up; but the
most extraordinary part of the whole affair was, that the
vent piece itse' f, which is loose, had not been blown out of
the chamber. and that the wrought iron handle should have
been wrenched off instead. At the time of the accident an
experiment was being made to ascertain the time in which
five rounds could be fired at a target 2,600 yards distant,
and this particular shot fell about 1,500 yards short, the
force of the powder having been wasted by the chamber.
The very setious question, therefore, a-tisee. how far these
guns are adapted for rapid firing, when, although there is
risk at all times, the danger then necessarily increases in a
multiplied ratio. The want of ramming home of the vent-
piece may arise from the slightest bit of the flannel cart-
ridge protruding over the lip of the chamber, and therefore
intwining itself between the flat surfaces which ought to meet
with mathematical precision; or firm)), happen at any time
from a little caked po eedee, or grit, in seite of all precau-
tions. Some shot are of higher gauge than others, and take
mere ramming home into the chamber, which might, end
probably would not, be pe nelved in the heat of action. It
is not a vet y uncemmonthing inthe Armstrong field-pieces
for the vent-piece to fly out altogether ;or want of tighien-
ir g the breech screw; end although, from its great weight, it
was, in the first hem y g an s, propy_ed +o place the vent-pieces
in the chamber sideways. yetthe NS isdom of droppingthem in
pet penaicvlarly is now apparent ; far otherwise one acci-
dent such as this might sweep a dozen men into eternity,
The flaw in the construction is i3y no means irremediable;
and it is very fortunate that attention has been so promptly
called to it; as before the general introduction of the gun
into the navy, either by means of a slot, or a flange, or a
groove or some such situp e mechanical contrivance, the
matter must be remedied. It is of paramount importance
that oar sailors should have unlimited confidence in the
fearful weapons which science and experiment are together
forging for the maintenance of our power and prestige
throughout the world.—Army and Navy Gazette.
ST. GEORGE'S-IN-THE-EAST. Yesterday wit-
nessed a complete transformation in the parish church of
St. George's-in-the-East, all the decorations which Mr.
Bevan King the rectorno highly prized having been swept
away under a monition directed by the Bishop of London
to the churchwardens. The super altar has been removed,
and there is row only a low table, covered with a red
cloth; all the crosses have been taken away ; the credence-
table no longer stands in ilia place; indeed every concession
has at length been wade to the poputir will. To such an
extent has the work of demolition proceeded that Mr. Han-
sard, the clergyman who was licensed by the Bishop to the
sole charge of the parish dm ing Mr. K'ng's absence, has
' considered that the changes made involve a violat'on of his
agreement with Mr. King, and has declined any longer to
dtscharge the ecclesiastical duties in the parish. In conse-
quence of this state of things, the Bishop had to provide
for the services of the church yesterday, and they were
taken, both mowing and evening, by t'ie Rev. Edward
Parry, M.A., Rector of Acton, his Lordship's chaplain.
At the mot eine service there were few persons present, but
in the evening the church was crowded, bat those present
were perfectly elderly, and there were none of the indecent
manifestations of fcelrg which have been so frequently
displayed.
KIDNAPPING AND MURDER.—In America, the
Chteego .I),.ess and Tribune of the 2fith ult. states that
Jerry Boyd, an honest, indust• ions, and inoffensive coloured
dravman ef Galena, Illinois, where he had led a sober
and reputable life for twenty years; his wife, Mary Boyd,
whom he had bought out of slavery with money earned
by the sweat of his brow • a girl, also coloured, but also
free, aged 12 to 14, who lived in Jerry's family ; and a
white child that Mary took care of for a poor woman at
service, were enticed away from their homes two or three
weeks ago by a couple of persons, upon the pretence that
the threw oldest persons of the party were to have profitable
and pleasant employment on a farm and in a hotel at Des
Moines, lowa. They were last seen in Johnson County,
of that State, in a covered waggon, going westward. A
few days after their departure from that county, the body
of a man was found by the roadside near where they were
last seen, and from papers in his pocket it was plain that it
was the body of Boyd, and that he had been murdered.
News of his death went back to his friends in Galena,
and then for the first time a suspicion that the party had
been kidnapped for sale into slavery was excited.
That suspicion grew into a certainty by further develop •
ments, and the people wno used to see Boyd every day at
his work, earning honest bread, offered, though he was
a mulatto, a reward of 500 dollars for the apprehension of
the villains who had committed a double crime, and de-
spatched two trusty men to follow the criminals up. The
kidnappers effected a sale of their victims in Nlissouri, but
before the money was paid over, one of the negroes, Mary
Boyd, revealed the whole truth, in consequence of
which the kidnappers and murderers were arrested.
Their names are John Goodwin and Peter I. Bolton. One
of them, Bolton, the first captured, was committed to gaol
in St. Joseph, under a charge of kidnapping, in default of
2,000 dollars bail. The other Goodwin, was taken charge
of by the gentlemen from Galena, who brought him within
40 miles of Hannibal, Missouri, on their way to Galena,
where he slipped his irons, and jumped from the car win-
dow while the train was running at the rate of 13 miles an
hour and escaped. Mrs. Body states that when the party
had travelled three days out from Galena, they encamped
by night about 16 miles from lowa city. Here some
movements made by Goodwin and Bolton excited the sus-
picion of her husband that all was not right, and he loaded
his gun and revolver in the presence of' the kidnappers.
The next morning Goodwin and Bolton held a consulta-
tion, Goodwin urging the necessity of getting rid of Jerry
by killing him. While Jerry was sitting down near the
waggon, Goodwin stepped up to him, saying "Jerry, I
am afraid ef you," and fired, first shooting him in the breast
and then in the head. The murder was committed in the
presence of Mrs. Boyd and the mulatto girl.
A LITERARY ARTISAN.—One of the artisans em-
ployed in the wheelers' branch, royal carriage department
of Woolwich Arsenal, has published an exceedingly cog-
mendable work, under the title of " Chips from the Block,"
being a summary of intelligent and useful information to
working men of his class. Although closely engaged at his
daily employment from 6 in the morning till 6 in the even-
ing, he has succeeded in writing and bringing through the
press a book which cannot fail in being extensively circu-
lated among those for whose benefit and instruction it was
compiled. The work is dedicated to Col. Tulloh, superin-
tendent of the department, who, having consented to for •
ward a copy for the inspection and approval of the Queen,
last week received the following reply :—" Windsor
Castle, Oct. 2S. —My dear Tulloh,—l have had the
honour to present to her Majesty the Queen Mr. Knell's
book, which seems to be written in an excellent spirit,
and to be full of practical good sense. I have received
her Majesty's commands to request that you will
present him with the enclosed cheque for £lO in token of
her Majesty's approbation of his praiseworthy occupation
of his time .—Sincerely yours, C. B. Prune's." The under-
mentioned communication was likewise received on Satur-
pfa'aasirtchteo-1
day, from the War Department, on the same subject :
" War-otlice, Pall-mall, S.W., Nov. 9.—Dear Colonel Tul-
loh, Sir Benjamin Hawes desires wn to send you the
toq. accompanyingufulalAyipresentt,rotj sv:t.l(,l
‘vl Knellul.
amneeuopsfolatpTchactLet
teull
atbr, . and Manufactures,
kes 0
whirr ti. or,, b askci Ti you o,lci'
contains.
t,oa ,
ii bn
Sic."
. ; so,
Yours
kinduhres
contained Dr. Andrew Ifire's sth edition of the "Dictionary
tedelewgiatnhtly2,obooounendgirnalrtlhneg•ese.
Iltlis:1?.;
Benjamin
The fly leaf bears the subjoined testimonial, writtete. by Sir
Hawes, Under -Secretary of State for War:—
"The gift of Sir Benjamin Hawes to Henry Thomas
Knoll, la aelinrAvledgment of the pleasure he has received
from reading his essay tin social sci9Acet—Nov, 9, 1860."

.n Rome.

LATEST NEWS.

THE WAR IN CHINA.
FOREIGN-OFFICE, Nov. 26.

A telegram has been received from her Majesty's
Consul at Marseilles, dated this morning, and
stating that the allies were within six miles of
Pekin on the 23d of September ; that on the 18th
and 21st they had completely defeated the Tartars
near Tangchow ; that Mr. Parkes had been taken
prisoner and sent to Pekin ; and that the rebels
had retired from Shanghai to Hangchow.

(REUTER'S TELEGRAMS.)
HEAD-QUARTERS, EIGHT MILES

FROM PEKIN, SEPT. 23.

Mr. Boulby, Tinzes correspondent; Mr. Loch,
secretary to Lord Elgin ; Mr. Parkes, Messrs. De
Norman and Anderson, of Fane's Horse ; and Capt.
Brabazon, have been made prisoners whilst en-
gaged in choosing camping ground. They have been
taken to Pekin, where they are well treated.

Engagements were fought on the 18th and 21st
September at Chang-kia- wan and Sang-cban. On
both occasions 30,000 Tartar cavalry advanced, and
were completely routed by the allies; 2,000 Tartars
were killed, and 50 guns taken. The allies had
only 18 wounded.
The Chinese have sent iu a flag of truce, with the
provisions for a treaty.
Lord Elgin demands the release of the prisoners
before negotiating.

The Emperor's brother has been appointed chie
commissioner to make peace.

Tea to the value of £250,000 sterling was taken

at Chang-kia-wan.

SHANGHAI, OCT. 4.
All is quiet. The rebels are threatening Hang-
than.

JAVA, OCT. 14.
The Dutch troops at Banjermassing have been
thrice repulsed by the rebels.

POINT DE GALLE, Nov. 1.
Sir Charles Macarthy assumed the governmen
of Ceylon on the 22d October.

TURIN, Nov. 24

The municipality of Ancona has opened a sub-
scription for the construction of a war vessel which
the March provinces will offer to the Marine of
State, in commemoration of the annexation of
those provinces to Sardinia.

NAPLES, Nov. 24.

The news contained in a Marseilles telegram,
published by the French papers, that disturbances
in the Neapolitan provinces had been repressed by
force, is completely false.
Many persons who have escaped from Gaeta have
taken refuge at Pozzuoli and Baja.
It is rumoured that Francis 11. is ill.

ROME, Nov. 24

At the request of the King the whole diplomatic
corps have quitted Gaeta. They arrived yesterday

The Pontifice.l Nuncio and the ambassadors cf
Austria, PrusLia, and Russia have received the
grand cordon of the order of St. Januarius from the
King.

VIENNA, Nov. 25.
The official Wiener Zietung of to-day says :
"The war report of General Lamoriciere con.
.ains the following passage :

" A person who is fully competent to know
wrote me from Trieste that 11 Austrian vessels
were about to cruise towards the south of Ancona,
in order to prevent the blockade of that place.'
" This part of the war report requires rectifica-
tion. The news it contains could only proceed
from an ill-informed person."

AGRAM, Nov. 23,

The principal inhabitants of this city will hold a
Conference to-morrow, in order to settle the details
in reference to the approaching elections to the
Diet, and the question of the relations between
Croatia and Hungary,

PESTH, Nov. 25

The administration of Hungary has been every-
where reorganised, with the concurrence of the
most eminent men of all parties.
Contrary to the reports in circulation, the Con-
ference which is to meet at Gran in order to arrange
the mode of election to the Hungarian Diet, will
assemble on the 10th of December next under the
presidency of the Cardinal Primate of Hungary.
The congregation of the Comital of Pesth will
assemble on the Ist December, under the presidency
of Count Carolyi, who has accepted this office.

THE BOMBAY MAILS.
SOUTHAMPTON, MONDAY,

The Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamer
Delta, with the heavy portion of the above mails,
arrived off Hurst Castle Telegraph Station at

1.25 a.m.,

FRANCE.
CHANGES IN THE CONSTITUTION OF

THE FRENCH CHAMBERS.

The following Imperial Decree is published in
yesterday's Moniteur :
" Desiring to afford to the great bodies of the
State a more direct participation in the general
policy of our Government, and a marked proof of
our confidence, we decree : _ .

" Art. 1. That the Senate and the Corps Le gis-
latif shall annually vote an address in reply to our
speech at the opening of the Chambers.
" Art 2. This address will be discussed in the
presence of the Government Commissioners, who
will give the Chamber the necessary explanations
of the interior and exterior policy of the Empire.

" Art. 3. In order to facilitate to the legislative
body the expression of its opinion in the prepara-
tion of the laws and the exercise of the right of
amendment, Art. 54 of our decree of March 22,
1852, is put in force, and the regulation of the
legislative body is modified in the following manner :
"Immediately after the distribution of the pro-
jects of law, and at the day fixed by the president,
the legislative body, before naming its commission,
assembles in secret committee, a summary discussion
is opened on the project of law, and the government
commissioners take past in it. The present dispo-
sition is applicable neither to projects of law of
local interest, nor to cases of urgency.
"Art. 4. In order to rentler the reproduction of
the debates of the Senate and the Legislative Body
more complete, the following project of a senatus
consulte shall be presented to the Senate :
" The reports of the sittings of the Senate and
the Legislative Body drawn up by the secretaires-
redacteurs under the authority of the
Presieach Assembly, are addressed every eve
/lino to ent
the
d of
journals. Moreover, the debates of every sitting
are reported in short-hand and inserted in extenso
in the official journal of the following day.'
Emperor will
" Art. 5. During the session the
name the ministers without portfolio to defend
before the Chambers, in concert with the President