The Sun.
London, England, 1860-06-14 00:00:00

THF, FLORAL BALL.

The beautiful floral exhibition, which has been
so tastefully arranged in this hall, was yesterday
thrown open to the public. On the previous evening
her Majesty and the King of the Belgians had
honoured it with their presence after the perfor-
mance of " Dinorah." The attendance yester-
day was large and fashionable, and univer-
sal admiration of the beauty of the flowers
and the elegance of the arrangements was ex-
expressed. The azaleas and rhododendrons were
especially remarkable, all the modern varieties of
shape and colour being present. The general effect
of the hall, with the raised slopes of flowers at each
end and the pyramids up the centre, was most
effective ; and the novelty of such an exhibition in
such a locality was much commented on. The
success of the show has been so great that Mr. Gye
has arranged to open the exhibition for to-morrow
and the following day, closing with an illuminated
display on Saturday evening. There will also be
another private view after the opera tonight,
and those who have not seen it by gaslight
should avail themselves of one •f these opportuni-
ties, as, owing to the skilful arrangement of the
artificial lights, the effect is extremely brilliant.

Captains Acton and Caracciolo, of the two Nea-
politat frigates which failed to prevent Garibaldi's landing
at Marsala, have been tried by court-martial at Naples and
acquitted.

The Opinione states that the new customs lines
on the Savoy side are already organised. The first French
line is at Lansburg, and the second at St. Jean de Mauriene.
The Sardinian line is to be established at Susa.

Prince Milosch, of Servia, who was lately dan-
gerously ill, has so far recovered as to be able to go to
Alexinatz, to take the waters. The princess, his daughter-
in-law, is about to visit Ostend. _ _

A muting of the creditors of Messrs. Joseph
Foot and Son, in the silk trade, who stopped payment on
the 13th of May, tcas held yesterday. The liabilities wore
stated by Mr. Jay, the accountant, at £14,033, and the net
assets at £13,667, showing nearly 20s. in the pound. After
some discussion three inspectors were appointed, to confer
with Messrs. Foot and Son respecting the payment of a
composition; failing such arrangement, the estate is to be
wound up under inspection. The firm stopped in the crisis
of 1357, but subsequently met their engagements satis-
factorily.
DEATH OF THE REV. BADEN POWELL.—We have
to record ithe death of the Rev. Baden Powell, Savilian
Professor of Geometry in the University of Oxford, which
took place at his residence in Stanhope-street, Hyde Park-
gardens, on Monday last.
It is expected that Government will send
£lOO,OOO in specie to Hong Kong, for the purposes of the
China war. by the steamer of the 26th inst., which will
probably also take as much as £300,000 or £400,000 on
mercantile account.

Telegrams from Vienna announce that a full and
official statement of the public debt of Austria is about to
be published.

The London and North Western Railway traffic
return this week shows an increase of £5,003 ; the Great
Northern, an increase of £879 ; the Great Western, an in-
crease of £6 '4 ; and the London and South Western an in-
crease of £4,021.

The directors of the National Provincial Bank of
England announce a half-yearly dividend at the rate of 8
per cent. per annum, and also a bonus of 7 per cent, pay-
able the 12th July.

Lord Clyde will, it is said, succeed the late Lord
Strafford in the command of the Coldstream Guards. The
two other vacant colonelcies will be filled by the appoint-
ment of Major-General Maunsell and Monins, both officers
of Peninsular service.
-

The Australian papers by the present mail con-
tain the annual address of the President of the Melbourne
Chamber of Commerce. This document confirms the opi-
nion frequently expressed during the last two or three years
as to the character of the Australian trade, and at the same
time demonstrates that its bad features have not as yet re-
ceived the-slightest check, since the imports for the first
two months of 1860 had actually shown an increase, not-
withstanding the disastrous results of previous arrivals.
This state of things is rightly described to have arisen
" from undue facilities given to manufacturers and shippers
in England," and it is pointed out that it is in England the
chief losses have fallen. Our banks and discount establish-
ments will doubtless be very indignant at the inference
to which these observations lead, but it is impossible to
avoid the conclusion that the recent cases of Mr. J. Blaikie,
the Scotch lawyer, and Mr. J. P. Edwards, of Birming-
ham, both of whom absconded after having operated as
large consignors to distant markets, leaving deficiencies of
betweenLloo,ooo and VOO,OOO, are merely samples of many
othere•that are likely to occur.