The Sun.
London, England, 1860-06-02 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF TILE SUN.

Sir,—Observing in your impression of yesterday,
under the above heading, a lengthy paragraph
purporting to be copied from the 11 orth British
Daily Mail, and containing many extraordinary
inaccuracies, I have the honour to request that you
will give insertion to this letter, in order that the
public may suspend their judgment until a military
investigation now proceeding shall have been
brought to a conclusion. During the whole of the
events narrated, the men of the West York Rifles
never offered the least violence or displayed in-
subordination to the officers or non-commissioned
officers in charge of them.
I have the honour to be, Sir, your obedient
servant,

THOS. NELSON, Captain,
Commanding Detachment West York Rifles.
Edinburgh Castle, 31st May, 1859.

ARRIVAL OF THE KING OF THE BELGIANS.—
His Majesty the King of the Belgians, accompanied by his
Royal Highness the Count de Flandre, and attended by a
numerous suite, landed at Dover at a quarter before two
o'clock yesterday afternoon, and proceeded to the railway
station, where his Majesty was received by the Hon. James
Byng, chairman, and Mr. Mellor, one of his co-directors in
the South-Eastern Railway, who travelled in the royal
train to London. Mr. Seymour Teulon, director; Mr.
Eborall, general manager ; and Mr. Knight, superintendent
of the South• Eastern Railway, were also in attendance.
The King—having thanked the authorities of the railway
for their attention—presently entered one of the Queen's
carriages and drove off to Buckingham Palace.
The Duchess of Grafton's dance is postponed
from the Bth inst. to Tuesday, the 19th of June.

The Countess Dowager of Carnwath has arrived
at her residence in Gloucester-place, Portman-square.

Lady Henniker has arrived at the Queen's
Hotel, Upper Norwood.

Lady Georgiana Balfour has left London for the
Oatlands Hotel, Weybridge.

Lady Emily Hesketh's ball will take place on
Wednesday the 6th, and not on the 15th inst., as previ
ously announced. _ _ _

Lady Elizabeth Stanhope has left the Oatlands
Hotel, for London.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer and Mrs.
Glanstone returned to town yesterday from a visit to the
Duke and Duchess of Sutherland at Cliefden, near Maiden-
head.

It is understood that the insurance losses from
the recent storms fill principally upon the North country
clubs, and that the amounts in London are very small. The
estimate is that altogether about 300 vessels have gone
ashore, involving the sacrifice of several hundred lives.
After the recent evidence respecting the quality of Ihe
chain cables used for anchors in the merchant service, few
will doubt that a large majority of these disasters are to be
attributed solely to the indifference of shipowners on that
point. If there were no facilities for effecting insurances,
regard for their own pockets would soon prompt a degree of
care on the part of those persons which considerations for
human life and national prosperity seem wholly inadequate
to inspire.

ROYAL INSPECTION OF THE COWES RIFLE
CORPS.—The Cowes Rifle Corps attended on the lawn in
front of Osborne Palace, on Wednesday last by Royal
command. The Queen, the Prines Consort, and the junior
branches of the Royal family came out and passed up and
down the line. The men were then thrown out skirmish-
ing, and recalled on the cry of " The cavalry are coming."
They were then put through some of the principal evolu •
tions. Nothing could exceed the order and regularity of
their movements. After abouthalf an hour had ben thus oc-
cupied, her Majesty was pleased to make numerous inquiries
of Captain Graham, the commanding officer. The Prince
expressed his satisfaction at the very soldier-like appear-
ance of the linen, and at the state of efficiency that they
had attained, and the corps returned to their parade.
SINGULAR ACCIDENT TO SHEEP.—On Thursday
evening while a large flock of sheep belonging to Mr. Geo.
Giddings, of Netheratreet, near Devizes, was being driven
by the shepherd from ono part of the farm to another, it
appears that by some means one of them stumbled in jump-
ing a ditch. As is always the ease with these animals the
others rushed blindly on, one falling over the other; those
beneath being smothered by the weight of those above them,
or crushed by the trampling of those which went safely over,
until when the last of the flock had passed it was discovered
that 80 of the number were in a dead or dying state, viz.,
about 60 ewes and 20 lambs. Such an accident as this, and
attended with such a great loss is, we believe, unprecedented
in this district. We understand that the shepherd was
himself knocked down by some of the falling sheep, but
fortunately managed to extricate himself in time.—Sher-
borne Journal.