The Sun.
London, England, 1858-02-13 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SIR,--The inclosed letter was sent to the Editor
of the Times, but has not appeared. I request the
favour of a place for it in the Sun. It is surely
degradiug, the thanks of Parliament, to obtain
them for any man, on the ground of services
rendered by another ; and most degrading when,
as in this case, they are made by implication,
to convey a slur upon the man who really per-
formed the service so lauded.

W. NAPIER, Lieutenant-General,
Feb. 12, 1858.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.

Sir,—ln your report of the debate on the
motion of thanks to the Indian army,
Lord Panmure is stated to have said,
" that Mr. Frere as Commissioner of Scinde had
reconciled the people of that province to British
rule, and by his prudence and firmness confirmed
the conquest a the gallant Napier."
This I qualify as a foul attempt to detract from
Sir Charles Napier's reputation. The people of
Sande were entirely reconciled to British rule—
not only reconciled, but entirely attached to it
under Sir Charles Napier's government, and by
his "wisdom and prudence," long years before Mr.
Frere had anything to do with the province.
Mr. Frere is not the man to deny
this, though Lord Panmure does so, and
most foully, by implication. But how should
Lord Panmure know anything about reconciling
people by wisdom and prudence ?
War. NAPIER, Lieut.-General.
February 9, 1858.

ROYAL VISIT TO THE ADELPHI

THEATRE.

Last night, her Majesty, accompanied by the Prince
of Wales, the Princess Alice, and attended by the
Duchess of Wellington, the Hon. Eleanor Stanley, Lord
Byron, and Major-General Buckley, honoured the
Adelphi Theatre with her presence. The pieces selected
for the occasion were, " The Drapery Question," " The
Poor Strollers," and the " Spitalfields Weaver." The
royal visitors arrived just prinrito the commencement of
the second piece. Tile splendid acting of Mr. Webster
and Madame Celeste frequently drew from the royal box
unmistakeable marks of admiration, and the comicalities
of Wright, of course highly pleased the Prince and
Princess. Her Majesty, on quitting the theatre, ex-
pressed herself highly pleased witb the evening's enter-
tainment.

ROYAL POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTIO Y.

Mr. Pepper's new lecture on the "Great Solar
Eclipses of 1858," is the last very notable addition to
the manifold attractions of the Polytechnic Institution,
It is one of the meet remarkable evidences of ability
yet afforded, moreover, by this accomplished caterer for
public instruction and entertainment. The Lecturer,
after Explaining the principle of solar eclipse, in a manner
the most lucid imaginable, because the most familiar
and conversational, by means of visible representatives
of Sun, and Earth, and Moon, ant& his auditors
ocular demonstration of the fact that an eclipse of
this kind is produced by the passage of our satellite in a
right line between the globe and the great central lumi-
nary. Mr. Pepper next gives the clearest definition of the
differences between partial, total, and annular eclipses,
illustrating this portion of his discourse by some ex-
quisite representations of the glory of light, or corona,
displayed after the disc of the sun has disappeared.
In elucidation of Os° phenomena of the rose-coloured
protuberances apparent round the edge of the eclipsed
disc, reference is then made to the injurious hypothesis
of M. Faye, according to whose theory, those mar-
vellous appearances are nothing more than optical
illusions analogous to those producing the mirage and
the fatn• morgana. • And, hereupon, no sooner is
mention thus incidentally made of the mirage of the
wilderness, than there appears before the audience a
magnificent panoramic dissolving-view of the Arabian
Desert, with the spectral islands, irrigated by imagi-
nary water—of which mention is made by every
oriental traveller from remote times down to the
"Eothen" of Kinglake, and the "Crescent and the
Cross" of Eiiot Warburton. Finally, there is, towards
the close of this really admirable Lecture, a superb
delineation of the Norwegian coast, as witnessed
during the Total Eclipse of the Sun in 1851, by the
Astronomer Royal of Scotland—the whole et those
splendid pictorial illustrations being effected by means of
the same beautiful dissolving scenery so brig familiar to
the frequenters of the Polytechnic. This astronomical
Lecture by Mr. Pepper, is to be repeated, we are
heartily glad to observe, twice every week during the
ensuing season—namely, on Wednesdays and Fridays.
Cordially do we commend it to the general public in
words of unaffected said unstinted admiration. It
cannot fail to enhance Mr. Pepper's individual repu-
tation ; and, while doing this, it reflects a new lustre
upon the fame and popularity of the Polytechnic
Institution.

His Serene Highness the Prince of Leiningen arrived
at Clarence House, St. James's, the residence of her
Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent, yesterday, from
Portsmouth.

His Serene Highness Prices Viztor of Hohenlohe has
left Howckin's Hotvl, St. Janaes's-street, f)r Ports-
mouth.

His Excellency the Ambassador of France left Albert.
gate House, yesterday morning, for Paris.
PRESENT PROM PRINCE FREDERICK WILLIAM.—We
have jii,t seen a massive gold snaff-box, presented to Mr.
E. T. Way, superintendent of the South-Eastern Railway,
at Dover, by Prince Frederick William of Prussia, and
received by Mr. Way through the Prussian Ligation
from the private secretary of his Royal Highness. The
box is of the most elegant design and workmanship,
b•it:g beautifully embossed on all sides, while upon the
lid bunches of roses and f,,rget-me-note encircle a
ring. It is presented to Mr. Way as a token of his
Royal Highness's sense of the promptitude and atten-
t on with which all matters have been arranged in Mr.
Way's departtnent upon the different occasions his
Royal Highness has passel through Dover. —Dover
Chro) i

INDIA MAlL'.—The following notices were issued
from the General l'ost.office yesterday, viz. :—The next
mail from Calcutta direct, Penang, Singapore, and China,
via Marseilles, is due io London on the 13th inst. Tno
next mail from India via Bombay and Marseilles is dee
London on the 19th inst. Mailo for the Mediter.
ronean, Egypt, India, and Mauritius, via Marseilles, will
be despatched on the evening of the 17th inst. No
United States mail packet will leave Liverpool until the
3d proximo.

DEATTI OF WOMBWELL'S ELEPHANT " CHUBBY."—
HARTLEPOOL, Thursday.—Wombwell's No. 1 Collec-
tion arrived here yesterday for exhibition, and its arrival
was unfortunately attended with a very serious loss to
the proprietor by the death of the elephant commonly
eared "Chubby." About three months ago a large
turnenr weighing 41b. was rameT d nom his right side by
Mr. Hyde, of Hull. The wound appears to have healed
prematurely, for since that time the animal has never
been well, and continued to lose flesh almost daily.
When at Sunderland last week his right fore leg was
fomented by a veterinary surgeon. Yesterday the
collection travelled from Essington-lane to Hartlepool, a
distance of about 15 miles ; " Chubby" and his fellow-
companion travelled under a covered van, and, as they
were entering the town " Chubby" fell to the ground
from ermustion. Great efforts were made to raise him,
and large quantities of stimulaatl were given him. Bat
all was of no avail, and after about two hours poor
‘. Chubby' breathed his last. His companion was taken
out of the van, and walked through the streets to the
mn,rk,t p!,e,. 7-13 then raised from ne crouni 00
to tue la'se floor of the van, and dragged into the town.
He was about 20 years old, and weighed between 4 and
5 tone.

ROSSINI AND THE ORGAN GRINDER.—The Courier
de .Paris contains the following :—" On the 27th of last
month RR Italian organ grinder stationed himself in the
eDurt-yard of the house occupied by Rossini, at the
corner farmed by the Boulevard and the Chaussde-
d'Artin, and began playing several airs from the repor-
toire of the great composer. He had played the serenade
from the " Barbiere," and was about to repeat it when
Rossini, accompanied by a friend, passed through the
court-yard. Tho maestro felt in Lis pocket for a few sons,
and while doing so ho inquired of the man if was aware
whose music he was playing. Of course, I do,' replied
the man, it is from our great Rossini." And the air
you played before.' Also from Thresirri,' said
the man, I should not thick of playing anything
but Rossini in the senerade which I am now
offering to him.' You offer a serenade to Roe-
sini ! and why ? ' irquired the composer. Be-
cause to-day is his birth day,' replied the man. Rossini,
on hearing this reply, was deeply touched, and he
turned to his campanien and said, This poor fellow is
the only person that has remembered the date ; all my
friends have forgotten it; even I myself had done so.
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