The Sun.
London, England, 1867-01-02 00:00:00

BOMBAY MAIL.

MALTA, Jan. 1.
The Tanjore left at 2 a.m., and the Ceylon at 7
a.m. to-day.
The former may be expected at Marseilles on the
3d, and the latter at Southampton on the 10th inst.

OUTWARD MAIL OF DEC. 12-18.

The Rangoon left for Bombay, December 28,

one p.m.

GIBRALTAR, Jan. 1.

The Syria from Southampton, Dec: 27, arrived
this morning and leaves at one p.m. for Alexandria.
All well. Experienced good weather.

CALCUTTA, CHINA, AND AUSTRALIAN

MAILS.

SUEZ, Dec. 31.

The Bengal arrived at 8 p.m. to-day (due Jan. 3).

The Nyanza, from Southampton, Dec. 20, arrived
on the 29th, at one a.m., and left at t*o p.m. for
Alexandria.

The Delta, from Marseilles, Dec. 28, arrived on
the 30th, at seven p.m., and left at midnight for
Alexandria.

THE NEW YEAR'S .RECEPTION AT THE

TUILERIES.
SPEECH OF THE EMPEROR NAPOLEON.

PARIS, Jan. 1.
At the reception held to-day at the Tuileries the
Emperor addressed the following speech to the
Diplomatic Body :
" The opening of the New Year furnishes me an
opportunity of expressing my wishes for the stabi-
lity of thrones and the prosperity of naticns. I
hope that we are entering upon a new era of peace
and conciliation, and that the Universal Exhibition
will contribute towards calming passions and draw-
ing closer the gelleral interests."
His Majesty thanked the Diplomatic Body for
their congratulations, and begged them to convey to
their respective Governments the expression of his
sentiments and friendship.
The Emperor, addressing the Archbishop of
Paris, said

" When I see at the head of the Paris clergy a
prelate so deeply devoted to the interests of religion
as well as to those of the State—one who everywhere
supports by his words and actions the great prin-
ciples of faith, charity, and conciliation, I say to
myself Heaven will hear his prayers. These prayers
are for France a blessing, and for me a new source
of consolation and hope."
" This being New Year's Day, no business has been
done on the Bourse.

SPEECH OF KING VICTOR EMMANUEL.

FLORENCEI Jan. 1.
At a reception given to-day by King Victor Em-
manuel to a deputation from the Italian Parliament
his
.Majesty thanked the Senators and Deputies for
the sentiments, of perfect devotedness which they
expressed in their own name and in the name of the
country. The King said—
" The new year reminds Italians that they have
now secured the independence of their country, and
with it an improvement in the civil administration,
and increased public prosperity. During the period
of peace, upon which we are entering, we shall not
cease to devote our attention to the army. The
army is not only necessary for the preservation of
that independence which it so greatly contributed
to acquire, but is in itself a solid guarantee for
internal security, and an element of moral unity
and of that training which renders disciplined
nations strong, and capable of accomplishing great
deeds."

M. Victor Hugo's Bounty.

(From the Star of Guernsey.)

M. Victor Hugo, on Thursday last made, at his
residence, Hauteville House, his Christmas distri-
bution of clothing to the poor children of all coun-
tries and religious denominations, whom he weekly
receives at his house to dinner--about 40 in num-
ber. The interesting ceremony took place in the
presence of a large concourse of ladies and gentle-
men, amongst whom were many members of the
first families of the island.

The children, having partaken of an abundant
luncheon, were conducted into one of the drawing-
rooms, where, on a table, was spread out a liberal
supply of useful clothing for children of both sexes.
The distribution of these articles having been com-
pleted, M. Victor Hugo addressed the crowded
assemblage to the following effect :
" Ladies and Gentlemen, —You are aware of the
object of this little meeting. It is what, for want of a
better term, I call the festival of poor little children.
I desire to speak of it in the humblest terms, and
with this feeling I would borrow the simplicity of
one of these little ones who now hear me. To do
good to poor children, as far as I am able, is the
object that I have now in view. Believe me, there is
no merit in the act, and what I say I sincerely mean.
There is no merit in doing for the poor what we can,
for what we can do it is a duty to do. Do you know
anything more sad than the sufferings of children ?
When we suffer—we who are men—we suffer justly,
we endure nothing but what we deserve ; but chil-
dren are innocent ; and suffering innocence, is it not
the saddest thing in nature ? Here Providence en-
trusts us with a portion of its own functions. God
says to man—I confide to thee the child. And he
does not confide te Ala- our own children alone—for
it is simply natural that we should have care for
them—and the brute obeys this law of
nature better sometimes than man himself.
God entrusts us with all the children
that suffer. To be the father, the mother of
poor children—this is our highest mission. To
have towards them the parental feeling is to have a
fraternal feeling towards humanity."
M. Victor Hugo expressed a hope that the de-
plorable term " ragged " would soon disappear
from the beautiful and noble English language, and
also that there would be no longer a ragged class.
He then dwelt on the fact that cholera had not
attacked one of the children thus fed in London.
Nothing, he thought, could speak more forcibly in
favour of the institution, and he left the result to
the consideration of those, who now heard him, con-
cluding in the following terms : —" Here, ladies and
gentlemen, here is my excuse for describing to you
what takes place here. This is what j ustifies the
publicity given to the dinner. It is that from
this humble origin there arises a considerable amelio-
ration in the condition of suffering innocence. To
relieve children—to train them into men—such is
our duty. I will add but one word more. There
are two ways of building churches. They may be
built of stones—they may be built of flesh and bone.
The poor whom you have succoured are a church
that you have built from whence prayer and grati-
tude ascend to God."

At the conclusion of this address, the children,
followed -by the spectators, adjourned to another
drawing-room, where they found a splendid Christ-
mas tree covered with toys, which were distributed
among the happy objects of M. Victor flugo's
bounty.

In an adjoining room a handsome collation was
provided for the visitors, who departed highly de-
lighted with their visit to Hauteville House, and
with the courteous reception they had.inet with.