The Sun.
London, England, 1860-02-20 00:00:00

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trainer; a 'small -man, who
could never tire. I was cure
offensively so ! asked many
answered most, courteouSlY.l....ley, .d "fi. al ,
place by accident, and chose it foripits lonesome-
ness. . The house itself is -worth seeing; the old
porch, with a massive stoneseaton each side, the four
steps to the keeping-room, and the various descents
to its enormous cellars, bespoke it of ancient date,
and accustomed to good cheer. , It was built before
the day of strikes and documents, for the walls are
of immense thickness, and have doubtless beard
many a funny story from the glorious race of
monks of old. It stands within hearing of a peal
of cathedral bellsiand is supposed to be coeval with
the sacred edifice. The archaeologists have found
amusement in the neighbourhood, and many an
Oldbuck has raised antiquities almost within gun-
shot of Heenan's isolated home. Coffins and spears
of ancient date and unknown fabric have there been
lifted from their beds of flint, and flint abounds at
the foot of the 1 breezy DoWns,' on'which the athle-
tic States-man delighteth him to walk. From the
windovvs,of his refuge, which I fancy was in former
years the dairy-farm of the jolly inmates of the
neighbouring cloister, this well-condUcted gladiator
pointed out to me the range of hills on which he a
takes his early morning's walk. From the other
side of the house he showed me the gentle-flowing
river, wherefrom the speckled front were taken to
deck the tables of the refectory. On either side of
the stream, and as far as the eye could reach,
stretched meadows, on which many a herd of kine,
aye, and perhaps the abbot's mule-has grazed. All
these the open-hearted fellow seemed fond of dwel-
ling on ; and he finished . his lecture by saying—
' Yours is a fine country; but do you have any fine_..._
weather ?' He next initiated me in a few of tile'
arts and sciences connected with athletic exercise.
'Now,' quoth he, ' you have seen the playground,
allow me to show you the school.' Not learned in
pugilistic lore, the sight of his gymnasium was to me
an interesting novelty. A large barn, ' replete
with every. luxury,' appropriated to the art of self-
defence—that is the term used by its•professors to
soften down the more rough word boxing—was the
school to which he conducted me. The aiticles of
furniture bore but slight resemblance to anything
I had seen at Gillow's or Dowbiggin's, but they
were such as, by being constantly used, would
strengthen the frame, expand the lungs, give
liberty to the shoulders, develop the muscles=in
short, render a man so active and healthy that he
could endure excessive exertion without showing
fatigue. One • bay of the barn was full of agri-
cultural implements, the other was "The Boy's'
play-room on a wet day. There had been
weights and pulleys to get him into wind ; lie
had no boat to pull to get him into water,
although he sat at his work as do the gentlemen
who start from Putney; there lie had a swinging
sack to practice at, and fancy he was engaging the
renowned Tom Sayers ; there he had some very
pretty clubs, which he called his dumb-bells, of
about the some size as one imagines that of Her-
cules to have been when lie tamed the Netnren
lion. With these toys lie played as would a small
boy with a battledore. I yielded to his kind invi- •
tation to handle his playthings, but afar a very
few circumvolutions my feeble arm ''did not seem
to care about it.' I plead non-guiltiness to a know-
ledge of the ways and means of training a human
being; but I should imagine that a few weeks'
practie with the sort of tools I have attempted to
delineate would give a man such a preparation that
' Observer' would describe him as being ' fit to run
for a man's life.' My afternoon's lounge did not
terminate with the lesson on the dumb-bells ;
for I was invited to take a second peep at his
parlour, and test the quality of his bolica. From
my youth up I have loved bohea. A fair white
cloth bedecked his massive oaken table—even that
item bore -..-io trace of being town-made ; and, in the
absence of bison, a grass-fed ox supplied a dish
palatable to a man with an appetite. The meal
was soon discussed, and we had a chat about things
over the water, or what he called ' home.' Ilis
aspirant to fistic honours is no illiterate visitor;
and, if I may he allow d to venture an opinion after
seeing his quiet and decent demeanour, I must
yield to the notion that if he be not too much of a
gentleman for the work he has sat himself, he will
achieve it. His age is 25; he therefore has a
decided advantage in point of youth. He has also
length of arm to serve him, and only requires that
most necessary ingredient in the manufacture of
pugilist—science, to render him a most formidable
opponent. If he be a better player at hitting-in-
the-face than the English champion, he will set a
good example to his countrymen by taking hack to
the great West the champion'sbelt of old England.
That trophy, if carried to America, will truly cause
Brother Jonathan to ' blow'—for the benefit of
country gentlemen, hundreds of whom will, I know
attend the fight, I may as well define the meaning
of the word. It is ' boast.' But it wilt also teach
Americans that a man may defend himself without
pistol-ball or bowie•knife—that an affront (I speak
of the lower ranks in life) may be resented by chas-
tising an insolent puppy without taking away his
life. It is a rather curious coincidence that, accord-
ing to present arrangements; the day fixed for mak-
ing the next deposit of stakes is the anniversary of
Washington's birthday. John Heenan walks and
runs at least 20 miles a day, and hi. 3 finishing
touch up the sides of the downs ought indeed to
open his lungs. In the course of conversation the
trio told me they constantly changed their trades.
men, and al Rays saw the servant start off with
their purchases before they left the shop. Their
reason ' for this caution is, that they had heard
dreadful accounts of the adulteration of food in
England, and—l blush to write it—they feared
that a trick might be played with the food. to pre-
vent the American winning the belt. I did not
ask Heenan to' put his hands up,' for I never was
brave in my life. I hope, however, to see him and
his rival do so when the eventful day arrives."

THE BUDGET.

PARLIAMENTARY NOTICES.

Mr. Lindsay—On going into committee on Cus-
toms Acts, to move—That, in the opinion of this
house, it is expedient, in sanctioning the measures
requisite for executing the engagements entered
into by her Majesty in the treaty with France, that
provision be made for abolishing all differential
duties on the trade carried on in British or French
vessels between the ports of England and France,
and their respective colonies and dependencies, and
from port to port within those limits.
Mr. Du Cane—On the motion that Mr. Speaker
do leave the chair for going into committee on Cus-
toms Acts, to move, by way of amendment, the fol-
lowing resolution :—That this house, recognising
the necessity of providing for the increased expen-
diture of the coming financial year, is of
opinion that it is not expedient to add to the
existing deficiency by diminishing the ordinary re
venue, and is not prepared to disappoint the just
expectations of the country by reimposing the
income-tax at an unnecessarily high rate.
Mr. Disraeli—Amendment to question, that Mr.
Speaker do leave the chair, to go into committee
on Customs Acts ; that this house does not think
fit to go into committee on the Customs Acts, with
a view to the reduction or repeal of the duties re-
ferred to in the treaty of commerce between her
Majesty and the Emperor of the French, until it
shall have considered, and assented to, the engage-
ments in that treaty.
Mr. Bristow—ln committee on Customs Acts—
on Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer moving the re-
peal of the clause in the Act of Parliament which
exempts the deed of building societies from stamp
duties, to move that the exemption be retained and
continued.

STRANDING OF THE COSfACK, SCREW

STEAM SHIP.

The Board of Trade have issued the report of the
Swansea magistrates who inquired into the strand-
ing of the Cossack steamer on Magram Sands, near
Port Talbot, on the night of the 13th of January,
and the decision of the department. The Cossack,
which was of 1,100 tons register, and belonged to
Hull, sailed from Liverpool ou the 12th January,
for Cardiff,
and the report, after noticing the
course of the ship, the stranding of the vessel at
10.34 p.m., the expectation of Captain Lewis
(master) o floating her off, and declining the
aid of Mr. Talbot (the lord-lieutenant
the case,
of the
county and other parties, thus concludes
Re-
viewing therefore all the circumstances_ oi' :----"
Re-
the master's ignorance of the Bristol Channel, his
evident want of knowledge of the set and velocity
going full speed when of the tides, the impropur —
his want of caution in
doubt-
ful of his position courses he steered, and.
(witrout coming to any decision
on the very moot
otherwise of his coi: question as to the propriety or
assist ance of ,uet in not accepting the prof-
fered Cossack sc row lordships' consideration that the
report fur your the Donna, tug), we beg to
steamer Ndvas stranded, and sustained
of the master, dcehTaar tLiensavgise:,,t,hrlovugh the defat t
Consequent eon si
Charles e arc glad 0
perceive that several
testimonials speak highly of
Captain Lewis's services, .as mast( r for more than
20 years. Captain lams, the nautical- assessor,
who assisted in the investigation, ln • expressed
his concurrence in the report, :theiving
Lo
Committee of the Privy Council for 'Trade
o f the
ad
e have
directed that Captain Lewis's certificate be sus-
pended for three months.

DEFALCATIONS OF A RAILWAY OFFICIAL.,---It 18
r unoured that one of the principal officers in a metropolitan
railway has absconded with cash to a large amount. His
defedeations are believed to exceed meny thousanl pounds.
--06,3erver.