The Sun.
London, England, 1858-12-23 00:00:00

SPAIN.

The Madrid journals of the 17th ,which were duo
Yesterday, have come to hand, but the mail of the
18th, which is likewise due, has not arrived. Some
sensation had been occasioned by M. O'Donnell,
brother of the Premier, having given notice in the
Chamber of Deputies that when the discussion on
the election of M. Egana, principal editor and pro-
prietor of the Espana, an opposition journal noted
for its bitter hostility to the Cabinet, and to the
Prime Minister personally, comes on, he will move,
for reasons connected with the dignity and decorum
of the Chamber, that M. Egana be required to pro-
duce the property qualification he has sworn to.

ITALY.

NAPLES, DEC. 18,

Mr. Fenton, a paid attaché of the British Lega-
tion at Florence, has been in Naples to make some
inquiries into a case of complaint made by the
Neapolitan Government. It appears that the
British Vice-Consul at Brindisi, Signor liemetric
Nicazza, an lonian subject, had been charged with
screening Neapolitan subjects pursued by the
police. The complaint was made dirgaly to the

Home Government, but as the "Vice-Consul of
Brindisi is under the jurisdiction of the British
Consul at Naples, Mr. Fenton was sent here to
make some inquiries. Certain papers, or extracts
of papers, were given to Mr. Fenton, but before
leaving I understand that he saw Signor Carafa
more than once, and explained to him that the
British Government were not of opinion that the
charge was justified.

STOPPAGE OF THE MEDITERRANEAN
TELEGRAPH.

A telegram from Cagliari, in the Island of Sar-
dinia, yesterday afternoon, has announced a sudden
stoppage of electrical communication by the sub-
marine wire between that port and Malta, belong-
ing to the Mediterranean Extension Telegraph
Company. The cause is not known, but is sup-
posed to be from some vessel dragging her anchor
at Malta, in which case there will be a prospect of
speedy repair. Owing to this accident the next
telegraphic news from India will experience a
delay of two or three days, the distance between
Cagliari and Malta being 300 miles. The break
occurred on Monday afternoon.

MR. ALBERT SMITH.

Last night Mr. Albert Smith's entertainment of
his " Tour to China," which has been so eagerly
expected by the pugg,was. given for the first time
to an audience whisW*oked every corner of the
Egyptian-hall, and which comprised many of the
notabilities in literary, artistic, and fashionable
circles. The arrangement of the room is of the
prettiest and most elaborate nature. The pro-
scenium represents a flower-garden pavilion in the
neighbourhood of Canton, fitted up for " Singsong
Pigeon," or theatrical entertainments. To the left
is a portion of a garden, with a circular opening in
the wall for entrance, containing a joss-house, or
-temple, with a veritable bronze joss. In addition
to these there is a Canton shop, fitted up
in exact imitation of the original, and co-
vered , with bills, placards, bamboo work, ban-
ners, and various other properties, which are lite-
rally genuine, having been purchased in China and
brought over by the enterprising lecturer. Those
acquainted with the room in its Mont, Blanc days
—by which expression we mean the entire of civi-
lised England—will recollect the thorough Swiss
appearance of the entire place : to them it will be
sufficient to say that the Oriental details are equally
scrupulously carried out.
In the introduction we find our entertainer asleep
on the deck of the Peninsular and Oriental Com-

pany's boat, and the air " Ever of thee I'm fondly
dreaming" serves as the key-note to his vision of
his old love, his ascent of Mont Blanc, which is
pictorially represented in a passing diorama. This
first part commences at Shepheard's Hotel at Cairo,
most faithfully represented, where we make the
acquaintance of the outward and homeward-bound
mail passengers. To this succeeds views of a street
in Cairo, of the Sphynx and the Pyramids, and of
the Desert and the Railway, all most admirably
painted. In this portion of his journey Mr. Smith
renews his acquaintance with his old friend Brown,
as the type of the travelling young Englishman,
and he winds up his first part with a medley song,
descriptive of the passengers, crews, and tracks of
two of the Peninsular and Oriental steamers from
Suez to Hong Kong, which is a marvel of neat
composition and of telling and rapid execution.
The second part of the entertainment is devoted
to China proper. From Mr. Beverley's brush we
have the most admirable views of the city and
harbour of Victoria, of a Waterside Bazaar in Hong
Kong, of the old European factories at Canton, and
of Howqua's gardens ; but from Mr. Albert Smith's
mouth we have a rapid hydrostatically compressed
notion of Chinese life and manners, commencing
with our infantile ideas, and concluding with his
actual experience, told in that pleasant, chatty,
familiar manner, of which he is the sole master.
In his passage in a gunboat he encounters
Edwards, the ill-used engineer, who has a more
wonderful grievanco than he has ever yet developed,
and who sings a more unintelligible and lachrymose
song than has ever yet penetrated beyond the walls
of a country ale-house. Other old friends too are
introduced with great effect, and a rapid resume of
the " Home News" is given in place of Galignani ;
but a further account of these and of the entertain-
ment generally we must reserve for a subsequent
notice. At present it will be sufficient to say that
Mr. Albert Smith was received on his appearance
with a deafening round of applause, again and again
renewed ; that throughout the entertainment there
was no single hitch; that the sound of laughter
and applause rolled unceasingly from first to last,
and that there is every reason to believe " China"
. will prove as legitimate a success as " Mont Blanc,"
and reflect as much credit on its talented andspirited
originator.