The Sun.
London, England, 1856-06-17 00:00:00

THE ATTACK ON MR. SUMNER.

In the Senate at Washington on the 2d inst. the
presiding officer laid before it the following apology
from the assailant of Mr. Sumner :
" House of Representatives, May 29.
" Sir,—l have seen in the public journals this morning
the report of the Senate Committee to whom was referred
the resolution of the Senate directing an inquiry into an
assault made by me on the 22d inst. on a senator from
Massachusetts. It is with unfeigned regret I find in the
report that what I had intended only as a redress for per-
s)Pal wrong should have been construed, or must neces-
sarily, as a breach of the privileges of the Senate. While
making a full and explicit disclaimer of any such desire
or purpose, I ask leave to say that for the occasion, con-
sidering myself only as a gentleman in society, and under
no political restraint as a member of the House
of Representatives, I did not revert to or consider
there was any alternative or restraint imposed upon
me by reason that the offence came from a member of
the Senate. I had read carefully and attentively the
speech delivered on the 19th and 20th inst., the speech
delivered in the Senate by the senator from Massachusetts,
and found therein language which I regarded as unjustly
reflecting, not only upon the history and character of
South Carolina, but also upon a friend and relative. To
such language I thought I had a just right to take ex-
ception under the e.r mmstances, the senator from South
Carolina, who Is as affected by those remarks, being ab-
sent from the Senate and city. I had reason to believe
the senator from Massachusetts did not acknowledge
that personal responsibility for wrongs in personal de-
portment, which would have saved me the painful ne•
cessity of the c,dlision which I sought ; and, in my
judgment, therefore, I had no alternative but to act as
I did. That the assault was male in the Senate Cham-
ber was caused by the fact that after a careful search
elsewhere, on the previous as well as on the same
day, the offender could not be found outside the walls of
the Senate Chamber, and the Senate had adjourned
for more than an hour previous to the assault. I sub-
mit the foregoing statement from the high re-
spect I have for the Senate of the United States,
and ask that it may be received as a full disclaimer
of any design to infract its privileges or offend its
dignity. I cheerfully add, should the facts as reported
by the committee of the Senate be nevertheless neces-
sarily considered as a breach of privilege, as a conclusion
of law, my earnest desire to atone for it, as far as may
be by this unhesitating and unqualified apology, that
you will oblige me by communicating this to the Senate
as its presiding officer.—l have the honour to remain,
Sir, with great respect, your servant,
" P. S. BROOKS.
"To the Hon. Jesse D. Bright, President of
the Senate."
The letter was read, laid on the table, and
ordered to be printed.

In the House of Representatives a report con-
cluding as follows was presented :
Whereas the Senate of the United States have trans-
mitted to this house a message complaining that Preston
S. Brooks, a representative from South Carolina, com-
mitted upon the person of Charles Sumner, a senator
from the State of Massachusetts, while seated at his
desk in the Senate Chamber, after the adjournment
of that body on the 22d of May last, a violent as-
sault which disabled him from attending to his duties
in the Senate, and declaring that seid assault was a
breach of the privileges of that body ; and when as,
from the respect of the privileges of the house, the
Senate have further declared that, inasmuch as the said
Preston S. Brooks is a member of this house, they can-
not arrest and a fortiori cannot try or punish him for a
breach of their privileges ; that they cannot proceed
further in the case than to make complaint to this house,
and that the power to arrest, try, and punish de-
volves solely on this body ; ael whereas, upon full
investigation, it appears to this house that the said
Preston S. Brooks has been guilty of the assault
complained of by the Senate, with the most aggra-
vated circumstances of violence ; that the same was
a breach of the privileges, not only of the Senate,
but of the senator assailed, and of this house as a co-
ordinate branch of the legislative department of the Go-
vernment, in direct violation of the constitution of the
United States, which declares that senators and repre-
sentatives, for any speech or debate in either House,
shall not be questioned in any other place ; and whereas
this house is of the opinion that it has the power and
ought to punish the said Preston S. Brooks, for the
said assault, not only as a breach of the privileges of
the senator of the assailed, and of the Senate and
House as declared by the constitution, but as an act of
disorderly behaviour ; and whereat, it further appears
from such investigation, that Henry A. Edmund-
son, a representative from the State of Virginia, and
Lawrence M. Keitt, a representative from South Caro-
lina, some time previous to said assault, were informed
that it was the purpose of the said Brooks to commit
violence upon the person of the said Chas. Summer, for
words used by him in debate as a senator in the Senate
of the United States, and took no means to discourage
or prevent the same, but, on the contrary, anticipating
the commission of such violence, were present on one
or more occasions to witness the same, as friends
of the assailant, therefore resolved,—That Preston S.
Brooks be, and is hereby, forthwith expelled from this
house as a representative from the State of South
Carolina.—Resolved that this House hereby declare its
disapprobation of the said act of Henry A. Edmundson
and Lawrence M. Keitt, in regard to said assault.
"Signed by Mr. Campbell (Ohio), Spinner, and Pen-
nington."
Mr. Howell Cobb, represesnting the minority of the
committee, presented a minority report, arguing that no
breach of privilege, under the oonstitutiun, had been
committed, and that the house had no power to go be-
yond the constitution in deciding that a breach of privi-
lege had been committed. Both reports were laid on
the table, and ordered to he printed.

ARREST OF B nll'lB EI S UMW A 7
PORTO D' ANZIO.

ROME, JUNE 10.

aTphael
ue at
hl ooursi
ti
esurveillance ba
alongbi tu a
thel ly
seexae.
cr coied
asst,
especi-
ally ei
chi!
ally on the Mediterranean side, has been notably in-
creased of late, in consequence of a fear enter-
tained by the Government that some portion of the
redoubtable Anglo-Italian Legion, or some of the
ItAlian revolutionary emigrants, or both, should find
their way to the hallo wed shores of St. Peter's Patrimony
and commit unhallowed attacks on the temporal throne
of the Apostle's' representative. Ships in the offing are
anxiously rec ennoitred, and a suspicious sail immediately
throws the garrison of each little port into a febrile com-
motion. This nervous state of agitation has just
proved a source of inconver fence to some of our coun-
trymen n.lturning from the Crimea in the British trans-
port-ship Lady Franklin, 480 tons, of Liverpool, who
were desirous of proceeding direct to England via
France by one of the Mediterranean steamers which
tough at Civita Vecchia, instead of performing the more
circuitous voyage thronh the Straits of Gibraltar. The
Lady Franklin arrived off Porto d'Anzio on the evening
of the stb, when Mr. Evans, part proprietor of the
vessel, the mate, and three men went on shore to make
inquiries, but, finding that they had landed at Porto
d'Anzio and not at Giunaicino, as they had ex-
pected, they were about to return to their vessel,
when they were arrested by the custom-house sol-
diers for having landed without due authorisation, there-
by infringing the police and sanitary regulations. The
Briti- h vice-consul, M. d'Andrea, immediately despatched
a report of the occurrence to the British consul at Rome,
through whose prompt representation to the President
of the Board of Health orders were forwarded on the
following day for the release of the prisoners, who arrived
bere yesterday, their ship having meanwhile sailed in
search of safer anchorage and more hospitable shores
elsewhere.

Jun 12.

The sailors of the Lady Franklin were kept without
food for 18 hours, and underwent 4 days' incarceration.
The vessel herself has not been heard of yet, and Mr.
Evans has started for Civita Vecchia in search of her.

CHlNA.—According to indirect advices from China,
brought by the last overland mail, dated from Shanghai
consequentlyilverwa six days later than
q again more scarce,
tthheo,le6pthreovfioAuspiryilr,eacteid ived, s
and the exchange had advanced to 6s. 7d. A rumour
prevailed that the rebels were menacing Soochou, but
it was not credited. It had, however, sensibly interfered
will the opium and import markets. Silk had expe-
rienced a further advance of $lO, and was coming down
very &lowly from the country, where prices wet® said to
be higher than at Shanghai. From Hong Kong the
dates are to the 21st of April, when the rate of ex-
change remained at ss.

SPORTING NOTES.

THE PAST AND THE FUTURE.

Sporting "prophets" triumphed and rejoiced in the
racing at Ascot, because it in a measure proved that
their calculations, with respect to the Epsom events, were
accurately enough formed, but were only upset by the
muddy, sticky stat aof the ground. The running of

Fly-by-Night and Cannobie, for instance, was totally
incompatible with the same horses' performance at
Epsom. The difference of form, however, which was
displayed, admits of easy explanation, for Fly-by-Night
looked, and was many pounds better than when be ran
for the Derby, whilst Cannobie was coughing, and was
in fact all to pieces. All persons regretted the breaking
down of Fly-by-Night, after his second gallant triumph
on Teesday, and no one exhibited more concern at the
circumstance than did Bartholomew, the jockey. It
has been stated that the breakdown was not very
severe. In my opinion, however, it is likely to prevent
the horse from running again this season. Fazzoletto
is being carefully nursed for the St. Leger, and John
Scott calculates with no little confidence on being able
to turn the tables on Ellington. So good a thing was
Forbidden Fruit deemed for the Hunt Cup, that of the
23 competitors he alone was really supported with
spirit. He pulled his backers through, albeit they had
" a squeak for it," for Wells, on Saraband, gave another
specimen of those brilliant finishes for which he has
attained a just reputation. By.the way, it was rumoured
that jest before the race Forbidden Fruit had been sold to
Mr. Hope, a rumour which, I am assured on authority,
had not the slightest foundation. Apropos of Saraband,Mr.
Howard seems determined to proceed with his claim or
the Burwell Stakes, and his solicitor was at Ascot col-
lecting a mass of evidence in support of that claim. The
trial, I understand, will take place on the 2Sth of July.
It will not, however, be the last of the Cannobie case,
but only the beginning of the end. The Marquis of
Anglesey, one of the stewards who sat in judgment on
the case, has commenced an action for libel against the
Sunday limes, on account of some very severe remarks
which appeared in that journal on the Sunday after the
" precious decision" was delivered. This action, I Fri
told, will be defended by the spirited proprietor of the
Sunday Times on public grounds, and racing men of all
classes and conditions appear to be making common
cause with him. They certainly possess a deep interest
in the-affair, and curiosity is already excited to the ut-
most, because it is expected that some important disclo-
sures will be made on the trial. I believe that a com-
mittee of sporting men is about to be formed, for the
purpose of collecting subscriptions to defray the expenses
of the defence.

To return, however, to Ascot. Mr. Howard believed
that he possessed a wonderful animal in Goldfinch, and
was thunderstruck when it was beaten. Indeed, so
highly had it been tried, that he fancied no other two-
yrs-old in England could be better. This consideration
induced him to object to the Subterfuge filly, who cut
down the favourite in so unmistakeable a style. The
filly, however, was proved to be rather a backward t wo-
yrs-old, and fortunate is Mr. Dennet in possessing so
smart an animal i❑ his limited stud. All persons, ex-
cept Mr. Walker and a fe Qv friends, were surprised at
the ease with which Winkfield carried off the Cup.
Even the jockey was astonished, and said ho could'nt
understand it. Saucebox seems to be stale, whilst Man-
ganese was suffering from a malady most incident to

Mr. E. R. Clark won two races on Friday, and great
was the excitement occasioned. He does not despair of
yet winning a Derby. At any rate he says be shall have
another try. He certainly has a good-looking colt
enough in South-Western.
Mr. Edward Hibbard may pride hinsself not a little on
the success with which the business of the Ascot meet
ing was conducted ; he is now busily employed in mak-
ing proper arrangements for the "cockney gathering "
on Moulsey Hurst to•morrow and Thursday. Although
the programme does not present any item of powerful
attraction, yet it promises a sufficient supply of sport.
For the Stand Plate my fancy points to Agra and Noi-
sette. The two Ascot victors, Winkfield and Redemp-
tion, shall represent my interest for the Surrey and Mid-
dlesex Stakes. Commotion, who, it is said, has been
recently purchased by Messrs. Barber and Saxon, ought
to win the Claremont Stakes ; the interest of the party,
however, may be said to be represented by Lord Nel-
son. For the Visitors' Plate I shall select Oltenitza
and Gondoline. New Brighton and the Queen Mab
mare seem the most trustworthy for the Richmond Plate.

The meeting at Newton clashes with that at Harnp-
ton, but the sport at neither place is likely to be affected.
Lambourne is my " fancy " for the Golbourne Park
Stakes. The Medway and Chere Petite are the most
attractive names amongst the nominations for the Maker-
field Handicap. For the Gold Cup I shall expect
Braxey, Imogene, and Cossey to fill the foremost places.
(.4 the forty-two nominations for the Great Newton
Handicap I prefer Vandal and Heir of Linne.

With it start, I shall be inclined to trust Comfort for
the Garswood Handicap.
Friday's races will be so materially regulated by the
running on the two preceding days that I shall not
touch upon it.
June 17. A FRESH MAN.