The Sun.
London, England, 1860-01-09 00:00:00

Mr. J. Locke, M.P., Mr. T. Gregson, M.P., Mr.
J. Martin, M.P., Mr. E. Baines, M.P., Mr. Hard-
oastle, M.P., Mr. Adeane, M.P., Mr. M. Milnes,
M.P., Mr. W. Ewart, M.P., Mr. B. Cochrane,
M.P., Mr. T. Hankey, M.P., Mr. E. Buxton, Mr.
J. Wyld, M.P., Mr. Tite, M.P., Captain Jervis,
M.P., Lord R. Montague, M.P., Sir S. Shaw
Lefevre, Sir W. Page Wood, Sir Roderick Mur-
chison, Chevalier Bunsen, General Klapka,
Sir J. Palgrave, Baron M. Van de Weyer
Marochetti, Lord Henry Lennox, Samuel Warren,
Esq., Henry Sykes Thornton, Esq., Edwin James,
Esq., Q.C., M.P., M. J. Higgins, Esq., Professor
Stanley, Sir J. Lawrence, Hon. :Capt.lllanbury,
M.P. ; Mr. Mangles, of the India Board;
the Rev. T. B. Murray, of St. Paul's ; Dr. Haw-
brey, Provost of Eton; the Dean of Canterbury;
the Dean of St. Paul's; Charles Knight, Esq., W. M.
Thackeray, Esq., Tom Taylor, Esq., Shirley Brooks,
Esq., Longman, Esq., the head of the eminent pub-
lishing firm in Paternoster-row ; R. Bentley, Esq.,
Burlington-street; Lovell Reeve, Esq., J. Forster,
Esq., W. Charles Kent, Esq., George Grote, Esq.,
S. C. Hall, Esq., G. A. Sala, Esq., and Sir W.
Alexander, &c., &c., &c.

Thus has one of the most distinguished of the
great authors of this century—"the orator, poet, and
statesman, who ran through each mood of the lyre,
and was master of all"—been to-day laid in that
cemetery which for ages past has been consecrated
to the remains of the best and greatest of this land.
Poets' Corner to-day has added yet another to the
long list of its illustrious dead, when the latest and
greatest of the great men which the last year has
torn from us is committed to the earth. The little
spot selected for the resting-place of a man whose
fame now fills the world is at the innermost part
of Poets' Corner, at the very foot of Westmacott's
monument to that genius whom Macaulay de-
lighted to honour—the mild and gentle Addi-
son. It is only the monument, however, which
is here, for Addison himself sleeps far away
from the great Essayist of the nineteenth cen-
tury, in the north aisle of Henry Vll.'s
chapel. Closest to the coffin of Lord Macaulay
is that of the celebrated Dr. Parr, who in his life-
time possessed, perhaps, even a greater amount of
learning than our brilliant historian, but who,
unlike him, went down to the grave without leav-
ing a single record of the vastness of his intellectual
stores behind. Almost by the side of the grave
which was closed to-day rest the remains of him
who died friendless and lorn," the still more
gifted Sheridan. By the side of the latter are the
graves of Samuel Johnson and David Garrick,
while at the foot, and almost overlooking the dark
aperture opened for the late Lord Macaulay, is
the monument to Campbell—at whose funeral
Macaulay was himself a pall-bearer. Close beside
it, also, is the Gothic monument to Chaucer,
facing which is the slab which marks the resting-
place of Spenser, with the half worn-out inscrip-
tion :—" Here lies, expecting the second coming
of our Saviour Christ Jesus, the body of Edmund
Spenser—the prince of poets in his time, whose
Divine spirit needs no other witness than the
works he left behind him." Undistinguished by
monument or tablet of any kind lie tie remains of
Beaumont the dramatist. Not far from Macaulay's
grave is the small pavement (not the original, which
was worn out, and replaced some time since), which
bear, what we may call the words and the title
" Oh rare Ben Jonson !" while a little more distant
is the monument to Cowley. The graves or monu-
ments of Pope, Prior, Gay, Dryden, Milton, Butler,
Mason, Davenant, Camden, Congreve, and others,
though all in Poets' Corner, are more distant from
that where the poet and historian was laid ±p rest
this day. The sublime words of the burial service,
the historic memories clustered about the locality
where the grave was dug, the glorious music
rolling from the organ and from the chiming voices
of the choristers, and reverberating through
that most august, majestic, and venerable edifice—
these were the affecting and effective accompani-
ments to-day of the Lord Macaulay's sepulture.
Remembering these we are anxious to
lose all recollection of the absolute want of any
order whatever in the martialling of those who were
assembled to do honour to the memory of this Great
English Worthy —Poet, Critic, Orator, Essayist,
Historian, Statesman.

VOLUNTEER CORPS.

TO THE EDITOR OP THE SUN.

SIR,—In the vast number of Great and Small
Men of the Empire who speak or write so strongly
in favour of the Great Rifle Movement, the ques-
tion is frequently asked, why England should not
become a rifle-shooting nation as those of the Con-
tinent ? In doing so it does not seem to have struck
anyone how wide is the difference between us and
them on the most essential point, perhaps of all,
the means to acquire Rifle Practice. That any real
good can be obtained from the short time that the
busy population of our countay can possibly devote
to it during the six working days of the week, I
hold to be impracticable. In order, therefore, to
put us on a par with continental nations, we should
employ the Sunday evening in that (as I think)
most rational and noble exercise of rifle firing, in
conjunction with various innocent amusements.
Who, for instance, has passed a Sunday evening at
Geneva, the cradle of Calvinism, the seat of intense
religion, could reasonably object to what he there
witnesses. The Plaine Palais, and its vicinity,
spread over with multitudes—recreation and pro-
priety observable everywhere. But to pass from
Switzerland into Germany. There the system may
be still more observable ; for there are seen Protes-
tants and Catholics mingled together without dis-
tinction of creed. Whenever a change takes place
in the mind of England, on the point I have ven-
tured to allude to, then will she become a rifle-
shooting nation—but not till then—Yours faithfully,
A MILITIA COMMANDANT AND
OLD SOLDIER.
I,Yelsh Hills, Jan. 7, 1860.

The next Cabinet Council will be held on Mon-
day. Like its predecessor of Tuesday last it is expected
to be a full Cabinet, the Ministerial Councils growing in
importance and interest as the opening of Parliament ap-
proaches. The Earl of Elgin, Sir George Grey, and others
of the Ministers, travelled long distances in order to be pre-
sent at the last Council. —Court Journal.

'1 he wedding-day of her Majesty and the Prince
Consort (the 10th of February) will be celebrated at Wind-
sor Castle, and therefore the return of the Court to town,
for the season, cannot fairly be anticipated before the middle
or latter end of that month.—Court Journal.

It is expected that her Majesty will arrive in
town on the 23d inst. On the 24th the Queen will open
Parliament, and on the same afternoon return to Windsor
Castle.—Corect Journal.

It may not be generally known that the Victoria
Cress, when bestowed on an officer, gives him a right to a
step in promotion the first opportunity.—Court Journal.
The Earl and Countess Granville are still domi-
ciled at Brighton, the health of her ladyship, though very
greatly improved, not being considered, as yet, thoroughly
re-established.— Court Joni•nal.

Lord Palmerston gives a grand State banquet
on the 23d, at Cambridge House, to a numerous party of
his influential supporters iu the House of Commons. Earl
Granville, as Government leader in the House of Lords,
gives a similar banque:t to Ministerial Peers, at his residence
in Bruton-street.—Court Journal.

THE VoLUNTEER MOVEMENT.—We learn that,
at the proposition of Sir Moses Montefiore, the clerks of the
" Alliance," of which the worthy' baronet is the chairman,
will join the Rifle Brigade, the office bearing all the ex-
pense.— Jewish Chronicle. _ _ _

The report of the hank of New South Wales,
presented at Sy lney on the 26th October last, stated the
available balance to be £70,212, out of which £50,000, was
appropriated to a dividend at the rate of 20-per cent, per
annum, and £14,925 to the reserve fund (which is now
raised to £205,000), leaving £5,287 to be can ied to next
half-year. The allotment of new shares was to be made on
the fallowing day at the rate of one to every two now held.
APPOINT3IENT.—CoIoneI the Hon. St. George
Foley, C. 8., who has been acting as Military Secretary to
Major-General Straubenzec, at Hong Kong, has been ap-
pointed British Military Commissioner at the Head-Quar-
ters of the General commanding the French expeditionary
corps to China.—Army and JlNavy Gazette.

MAJOR HODSON's WIDOW.--We have much
pleasure
in stating that her Majesty has been graciously
pleased to apportion a suite of apartments in Hampton -court
Palace to Mrs. Hodson, widow of Major Hodson, of " Hod-
son's Horse."--21emy and Navy Gazette,

Lieutenant Harmer, 81st Regiment, has suc-
ceeded Lieutenant. Coupe, 15th Regiment, as recruiting
officer at Omagh. Lieut. Fagan, 4th Regiment, has been
moved from Cambridge to Reigate, and Lieut. Lockhart,
92d Highlanders, from Reigate to Cambridge.—Anny and
.Navy Gazette,

.s

LATEST NEW S.

AMERICA.

THE PRESIDENTS' MESSAGE.
QUEENSTOWN, JAN. 9.

The Royal Mail Steamship America arrived here
at 1 o'clock a.m., she left Boston on the 28th ult.,
and Halifax on the 30th ult.

The America brings 37 passengers, and 5,000
dols. for Havre; she landed the mails and sailed
for Liverpool at 2 a.m. All well.
She brings the Presidents' Message, of which the
following is a summary :
"Although no Speaker had been elected the Pre-
sident delivered his Message on the 27th ult.
Alluding to the excitement in the south, he said,
" I firmly believe that the events at Harper's Ferry,
by causing the people to pause and reflect, would
be the means, under Providence, of allaying exist-
ing excitement, and to prevent in future a fresh
outbreak. I cordially congratulate you upon the
final settlement, by the Superior Court of the
United States, of the question of slavery. The
right has been established of every citizen to take
property, ißcluding slaves, into the common terri-
tories, and have it protected under the Federal
Constitution.

" All means have been employed, and shall con-
tinued to be employed to execute the laws against
the Slave Trade, and those engaged in the unlaw-
ful enterprise have been vigorously prosecuted.
" The wisdom of the course pursued by Govern-
ment towards China has been verified by late events.
Our treaty of peace and commerce with that Empire
was continued at Tien-tsin on the 18th of June,
1858, and was ratified by the President, and with
the advice and consent of the Senate, on the 21st
of December following. The ratifications of the
treaty were afterwards, on the 16th of August, ex-
changed in proper form at Pietsang. As the ex-
change did not take place till the day prescribed
by the treaty it is deemed proper, before its publi-
cation, again to submit it to the Senate.

" Our relations with the great Empires of Frame
and Russia, as well as on the Continent of Europe,
unless we may except that of Spain, happily con-
tinue to be of the most friendly character. In my
last annual Message I presented a statement of the
unsatisfactory condition of our relations with Spain,
and I regret they have not materially improved.
Without special reference to other claims, the pay-
ment of which has been ably urged by our Minis-
ters, and in which more than 100 of our citizens
are directly interested, they still remain unsatisfied,
notwithstanding their justice, and though their
amount, 128,655 dols. Mc., has been admitted by
the Spanish Government. I need not repeat the
arguments which I urged in my last Message in
favour of the acquisition of Cuba by fair purchase.
My opinion on that measure is unchanged. I again
invite your serious attention to this subject. With-
out a recognition of this policy on their part it will
be almost impossible to institute negotiations with
any reasonable prospect of success.
" Until a recent period there was good reason
to believe that I should be able to announce
to you on the present occasion that our difficulties
with Great Britain, arising out of the Clayton-
Bulwer Treaty, had been fully adjusted in a manner
alike honourable and satisfactory to both parties.
From causes, however, which the British Govern-
ment have not anticipated, they have not completed
treaty arrangements with the Republics of Hon-
duras and Nicaragua in pursuance of the under-
standing between the two Governments. It is,
nevertheless, evidently expected that this good work
will soon be accomplished; while indulging the
hopes of that, no other subject remains which can
disturb the good relations between the two coun-
tries.

"The question arising out of the adverse claims
of the parties to the island of San Juan, under the
Oregon Treaty of June 15th, 1846, suddenly as-
sumed a threatening prominence. In order to pre-
vent unfortunate collisions on that remote frontier,
the Government was instructed that the officers of
the territory should abstain from all acts on the
disputed ground which are calculated to provoke
any conflicts. As far as it can be done without em-
ploying the concession to authorities of Great Bri-
tain of an extensive right over, the title ought to
be settled before either party should attempt to
exclude the other by force, or exercise complete ex-
clusive sovereign rights within the fairly disputed
limits. Much excitement prevailed for some time
throughout that region. Serious danger of a colli-
sion between the parties was apprehended. The
British had a largo naval force in the vicinity,
and it is an act of simple justice to the ad-
miral on that station to state, that he wisely
forbore to commit any hostile acts, but determined
to refer the whole affair to his Government and
await their instructions. This aspect of the mat-
ter, in my opinion, demanded attention, to pre-
vent any act of hostility from taking place
Lieut.-General Scott was despatehed on the 17th
of September last, to take command of the United
States' forces if necessary. Considering the distance
from the scene of action, and in ignorance of what
might have transpired on the spot before the gene-
ral's arrival, it was necessary to leave much to his
discretion ; and, I am happy to state, the event
proved that this discretion could not have been en-
trusted to a more competent hand. General Scott
has recently returned from his mission, having ac-
complished certain objects, and there is no longer
good reason to fear a collision between the force of
the two countries during the existing negotiations.
" I regret to inform you that there has been no
improvement in the affairs of Mexico since my last
Message, and I am again obliged to ask the earnest
attention of Congress to the unhappy condition of
that Republic. Outrages of the worst description
are committed on persons and property. There is
scarcely any form of injury which has not been
suffered by our citizens in Mexico during the last
few years. We have been nominally at peace with
that Republic; but, so far as the interests of our
commerce or of our citizens who have visited the
country as merchants, shipmasters, or in other capa-
cities, are concerned, we might as well have been at
war. I recommend to Congress to pass a law autho-
rising the President, under such restriction as they
may deem necessary, to emply military force against
Mexico for the purpose of obtaining indemnity for
the past and security for the future."

LATEST FROM SAN FRANCISCO.
Some snow storms had interrupted the
and caused some damage to property.
Advices from Vera Cruz report continued dis-
turbances.

NEW YORK, DEC. 27.

Exchange heavy. Money, 6to 71. Stocks, un-
changed. New York Central, lower. Ashes and
Cotton, unchanged. Breadstuffs, nominally un-
changed. Beef, quiet ; pork, declining.

The following telegrams have been received at
Mr. Reuter's office :

THE OUTWARD BOMBAY AND PENINSU-

LAR MAILS.

The Ripon, with the outward Bombay mail
of the 27th of December, put into Vigo on the