The Sun.
London, England, 1860-05-21 00:00:00

IRISH TRAMWAYS BILL.

This measure has been before three sessions of
Parliament—the late Sir Robert Ferguson, when
living, having taken a great interest in it. The
Select Committee now sitting have not taken evi-
dence; this is the more to be regretted, as a Blue
Book on the subject would have given very valu-
able information on a system as yet untried here,
but largely carried out in the United States, where
500 miles are laid through the chief cities.
The Irish press, metropolitan and provincial,
speak of it as an act which will benefit the country.
Many of the Grand Juries have reported strongly
in its favour. In The Sun of the 14th we gave
that of Mr. R. A. Gray, C.E., to the Dublin
Grand Jury, which is well worth the attention of
the surveyers of highways, as well as the metro-
politan Commissioners, our suburbs affording many
roads on which tramways could be introduced. Sir
Edward Colebrooke has got leave to introduce a
bill for Scotland, and unless Col. French, Col.
Greville, and the promoters of the Irish bill make
some greater exertions, they are likely to be left
behind by their more "canny" Scotch neighbours.
The Government should take it up and have it
speedily enacted.

Her Majesty, the Prince Consort, and the Royal
Family leave town this day for Osborne, to spend a few
days. A select few, forming the immediate circle of the
Court, are invited to keep the Queen's birthday. The
Duchess of Kent, with the Prince and Princess of Leinin-
gen, it is expected, will join her Majesty at Osborne.—
Court Journal.

The Earl and Countess of Dunraven and family
have arrived at Farrance's Hotel, the new family mansion
at Buckingham-gate not being quite ready for their recep-
tion.

Viscount Palmerston had an audience of the
Queen, on Saturday, at Buckingham Palace.
Viscount Ilardinge has taken a residence at
Queen's-terrace, South Kensington.

Viscount and Viscountess Boyne have arrived in
Belgrave-square, for the season, from Burwarton, Shrop-
shire.

Field-Marshal Lord Seaton, Lady Seaton, and
the llon. Misses Colborne have left Farrance's Hotel, for
their seat in Devonshire.

MR. MASON JONES' ORATIONS.—On Saturday
afternoon Mr. Mason Jones delivered, at Willis's-rooms, in
the presence of a numerous and fashionable audience, his
oration "On the Life, Character, ant Genius of Dean
swift." This discourse is in all respects one of the best of
Mr. Jones' series, and on Saturday it elicited applause as
hearty and general as was evoked on the occasion of its
original delivery last season. '

The Rev. Mr. Hatch, who was convicted at the
Central Criminal Court, last December, for an indecent
assault on Eugenie Plummer, was liberated from Newgate
on Saturday,

ST. GEORGE'S IN-THE-EAST.—The unseemly dis-
turbances which have so long made this parish notorious
may be considered as now approaching their termination,
the Bishop of London having on Saturday directed a moni-
tion to the churchwarden forbidding the admission of the
obnoxious choristers within the altar rails. Mr. Church-
warden Thompson, aided by his sidesruen, yesterday acted
upon this monition, and the choristers were accordingly re-
stricted to the organ loft or the rector's pew, and no die-
turbance of the service took place.
SALE OF METROPOLITAN ROADS.—On Friday,
at noon, the Commissioners of the Metropolis Roads north
of the Thames, Lord Lonsdale in the chair, assembled at
their office, Whitehall-place, for the purpose of putting up
to auction the tolls arising from the several gates and bars
on the lines of the roads in the district of the commissioners.
Among the lessees present were Messrs. Bolton, Ambler, T.
Taylor, &c., but there was not that full attendance of them
RS is usual on these occasions, and there was not mach com-
petition for the various lots. The following roads were
put up and disposed of:—The City-road, the Marylebone
and Finchley, the Kilburn, the Highgate and Hampstead,
and Harrow roads. These produced nearly £9OO more than
they did last year. There were five other roads, the tolls
of which were to be disposed of, but in consequence of no
offer being made for either of them, the sale was put off to
another day.
FRIGHTFUL OCCURRENCE AT CHARRINGTON'S
BsaEwERY.—Mr. John Humphreys, the coroner, received
information on Saturday morning respecting the death of
Isaac Marshall, aged 52 years, who lost his life under the
following shocking circumstances :—lt appears that the
deceased had been many years in the sery ce of the Messrs.
Charrington and Co., the extensive brewers, of the Mile -
end-road, as maltster, and on Thursday last, while
he was engaged in the malt crushing room, oiling
the machinery connected with the rollers, some portion of
the deceased's dress became entangled in the cog-wheels,
whereby he was drawn between the iron work, and before
the engine could be stopped the arms and upper portions of
his Jody were frightfully mutilated. An instant alarm was
raised, when several persons ran to his assistance, but be-
fore the poor fellow could be extricated life was quite ex •
tinet. The deceased was a respectable man, and has left a
wife and fancily totally unprovided for.
TETE LOVE OF RIBBONS AND CROSSES A UNI-
VERSSL Pissrom—Titles are abolished ; and the American
Republic swarms with men claiming and bearing them.
You have the French soldier cheered and happy in his
dying agony, and kissing with frantic joy the chief's hand
who lays the little cross on the bleeding bosom. At home
you have tho dukes and earls jobbing and intriguing for the
Garter; the military knights grumbling at the civil
knights of the Bath; the little ribbon eager for the collar;
the soldiers and seamen from India and the Crimea march-
ing in procession before the Queen, and receiving from her
hands the cross bearing her royal name. And, remember,
there are not only cross wearers, but all the fathers and
friends—all the women who have prayed for their absent
heroes : Ilarry's wife, and Tom's mother, and Jack's
daughter, and Frank's sweetheart, each of whom wears in
her heart of hearts afterwards the badge which son,
father, lover has won by his merit ; each of whom is made
happy and proud, and is bound to the country by that little
bit of ribbon.—Coinkill Magazine for May.
THE STAR OF INIINERVA.—Had the star of
Minerva lasted to our present time—but I pause, not be-
cause the idea is dazzling, but too awful. Fancy the
claimants, and the row about their precedence ! Which
philosopher shall have the grand cordon ?—which the
collar ?—which the little scrap no bigger than a buttercup ?
Of the historians—A, say—and C, and F, and G, and S,
and 'l'—which shall be Companion and which Grand Owl ?
Of the poets, who wears, or claims, the largest and brightest
star ? Of the nevellists, there is A, and B and CD, and E
(star of first magnitude, newly discovered), and F (a maga-
zine of wit), and fair G, and H, and I, and bravo old J,
and charming K, and L, and M, and N, and 0 (fair
twinkler:;), and I am puzzled between three P's—Peacock,
Miss Pardee, and Paul Pry—and Queechy, and R, and S,
and T, mere et jils, and very likely IT, 0 gentle reader, for
who has not written his novel now. a-days ?—who has not
a claim to the star and straw-colourod ribbon ?—and who
shall have the biggest and largest ? Fancy the struggle !
Fancy the squabble ! Fancy the distribution of prizes
Coi. oh ill Mayaziiie.
NOTHING TRUE BUT Two AND Two !—Yes,
knighthood is absurd : and chivalry an idiotic superstition:
and Sir Walter Manny was a zanily : and Nelson, with his
11 lining stars and cordons, splewlent upon a day of battle,
was ;c to td man : and Murat, with his crosses and orders, at
the head of hi:, squaaront, charging victorious, was only a
crazy mountebank, who had been a tavern-waiter, and was
pulled up with absurd vanity about his dress and legs. And
the men of the French line at Fontenoy, who told Messieurs
de la Garde to fire first, were smirking French dancing-
masters; and the Black Prince, waiting upon his royal
prisoner, was acting an insane masquerade ; and Chivalry
is nought ; and Honour is humbug ; and Gentlomanhood
is an extinct folly; and Ambition is madness; and desire
of distinction is criminal vanity; and glory is bosh; and
fair fame is idleness ; and nothing is true but two and two ;
and the colour of all the world is drab; and all men are
equal ; and one man is as tall as another ; and one man is
as good as another—and a great dale betther, as the Irish
philosopher said.—Cernhill Magazine fax Itay.