The Sun.
London, England, 1858-12-13 00:00:00

ITALY.

NICE, Dec. G.—The Grand Duke Constantine of
Russia, accompanied by the Grand Duchess and
their son, arrived at Villafranca at 10 o'clock this
morning in the Russian war ship Retzivan, fol-
lowed by the frigates Bayan and Polkan. As soon
as the Retzivan had cast anchor in the roads a
salute of 21 guns was fired from the fort of Villa-
franca, and was answered by the Bayan gun for
gun.

The Intendant-General de la Marmora, Majok.
General Mollar, the Russian consul at Nice, and the
Russian vice-consul at Villafranca, went on board
the Retzivan to salute the august visitors. At noon
their Imperial Highnesses disembarked, the three
Russian ships firing salvos of artillery, while the
bands played national airs. Carriages were in
waiting to convey them to Nice, to which place
they were escorted by a picket of Sardinian cara-
bineers. At a quarter past one they arrived at the
Victoria Hotel, where a detachment of Sardinian
troops was in readiness to receive them.
At Genoa, from which the Imperial party had
come, the Grand Duke and his consort were received
by the authorities, and drove about the town in an
open carriages.

A St. Petersburg letter says:—" The nomina-
of Count Karolyi as Austrian ambassador to our
Court appears to be confirmed. It is now apparent
why the Cabinet of Vienna hesitated so long in
choosing a representative. M. de Balabine, our
Minister to Vienna, had never been at the head of
any legation, having been previously Secretary of
Emb:,.ssy. Austria, in consequence, did not wish
to send to St. Petersburg any but a young diplo-
matist, who would be in an analogous position; and
it has now found that person in Count Karolyi.

The Austrian and Neapolitan Governments, a
Vienna letter states, have come to an understand-
ing on the subject of the small island of Pelagosa,
situated in the Adriatic, which is for the future to
form part of the Austrian possessions, and have a
lighthouse c•nstructed on it by that power.

The Boersenhalle of Hamburg of the 7th says :
" The commission on the navigation of the Elbe
which has been assembled in this city since June
last has just brought its deliberation to a close, but
without coming to any definitive result. Although
Prussia, Austria, Saxony, and Hamburg modified
their previous propositions, and merely demanded
that the dues on the river should be reduced one
quarter instead of one half, as they at first pro-
posed, Hanover and Mecklenburg have persisted in
opposing any reduction whatever. At the last
sitting Prussia and the other powers above men-
tioned again proposed the reduction of one-fourth,
but that course was again opposed, and the sittings
were adjourned sine die."

Accounts from Damascus state that the Porte
had obtained the most complete success in its
Syrian expedition. Ismael Bey had been aban-
doned by all his people, and given up by the in-
habitants of a village where he had taken refuge,

THE FRENCH BUDGET.

The Moniteur of yesterday publishes the follow-
ing report of M. Magne, Minister of Finance, on
the French Budget for 1860, or, as he styles it, les
elements du budget de 1860.
" Sire, —I ask your Majesty's permission to send
to the Council of State the elements of the budget
of 1860.
" For some years past the volume containing the
project of law for the receipts and expenditure of
the state, and the documents published as vouchers,
have been distributed on the day itself of the open-
ing of the session. This despatch gives to the
Legislative Corps all the time and facilities that
are necessary for examining our financial situation
in its minutest details, and for thoroughly under-
standing it. Your Majesty desires to preserve
this custom. It is a most valuable guarantee to
the country, which rightly considers good order in
the finances as the most solid basis of its prosperity
and credit ; it is an advantage to the Government,
which ought to desire the annual assistance of an
impartial and thorough control, with a view to en-
lighten public opinion on these important matters,
generally little known and too often improperly
appreciated.
When we contemplate the gigantic works that
have been executed within such few years over the
whole surface of the empire with a rapidity that
astonishes the imagination, at the very time when
war and so many other calamities seemed about to
exhaust the strength of the county ; when we
think of the efforts and immense sums they neces-
sarily required; and when we remember the diffi-
culties and delays of ordinary periods, it is natural
we should ask ourselves by what miracle the re-
sources of France have all at once been found suffi-
ciently high for the development of such extraor-
dinary activity?
" Doubtless, among that portion of the public
that can appreciate the benefits of order and perfect
tranquillity, of the pacific relations for which the
country is indebted to your Majesty ; which is not
ignorant of the prodigies that may be engendered
by the wisely-combined action of the state, the
communes, and private industry developing itself
amidst general confidence ; which comprehends
that these very works (that would of themselves
suffice to constitute the glory of an entire reign)
have fertilised the land and opened for us
fresh sources of power and wealth ; in these, by
the enlightened and sincere portion of the public,
are duly estimated, without difficulty, the marvels
of which the present generation is a witness.
Nevertheless it may not be useless, to meet any
doubts which might exist, to prove by official
figures, by unchallengeable proofs, that the Em-
peror has given the rare example of a resolution
which overcomes all obstacle, and of a prudence
which avoids excesses and knows where to stop at
the right moment ; after a long time no Govern.
ment has so strictly confined itself within the limits
of the means at its disposal, and that the favourable
results indicated in my former report have been
fully confirmed by facts.
" Last year, at the time of its publication, the
draught of the accounts for the budget of 1855 was
submitted to the examination of the Council of
State. That draught showed, for ordinary and

extraordinary services, an excess of receipts of
394,000,000 f. This sum was duly certified by the
Legislative body, and the surplus of 394,000,000 f.
carried over to 1856.
" The budget of 1856, though much affected by
the expenses of the war and by the outlay incurred
by the return of our troops, was nevertheless esti-
mated to give a bonus of 106,000,000 f. The surplus
has new been ascertained to be 112,000,000 f.
"The budget of 1857 settled all the expenses of
the war. Last year the accounts of that budget
were not cast up, and only an approximate estimate
could be made. A surplus of 20,000,000 f. was cal-
culated upon. The accounts of that budget were
closed on the 31st of August last. The surplus
of receipts will be at least 36,000,000 f.
" The budget of 1858 is worthy the particular at-
tention of your Majesty. Excepting our expeditious
to the Chinese Seas, it is free from those exceptional
circumstances which influence the receipts and
expenditure of the four preceding budgets. It is
the first budget of peace which can give a just idea
of our normal situation. It was voted with an excess
of receipts of 20 millions, and up to the present the
produce realised exceeds by 75 millions the anti-
cipated returns. Everything tends to show that
the balance will be an excellent one.

" The accounts of the budget of 1859 have not
yet been made up. It is started with a surplus of
receipts of 8,000,000 f. Nothing has as yet occurred
to alter that estimate : on the contrary, the returns
of 1858 already exceed the estimate by 22,000,000 f.
" The draught of the budget of 1860, conceived
in that spirit of moderation and of prudence which
prevailed at.the former budgets, and which cannot
fail to improve under the control of the Council of
State and of the Legislative body, indicates suffi-
cient resources for the development of various im-
portant branches of the public service, for an im-
provement in the salaries of the under officials and
of the magistrature, and to add 20 millions to the
dotation of the sinking fund.
" In short, the budgets of 1855, 1856, and 1857,
despite the immense expenses of the war and the
difficult circumstances of the time, instead of show-
ing a deficit, did not even exhaust the means placed
at the disposal of the Government. The budgets
of 1858, 1859, 1860, free, as regards receipts and
expenditure, of all those exceptional complications,
give reason to hope, founded on known facts, of a
no less satisfactory final result. Therefore, I may
affirm, with more assurance than ever, that since
1854 the deficit of the budgets, the primary cause

of the floating debt, has not increased one centime.
" That deficit is the work of many Governments ;
but, as each succeeding Goverment becomes an-
swerable, and a great floating debt might
become an embarrassment to the Treasury, the
laws of the 9th and 19th of June, 1857, decided
that that debt should be reduced, and ascribed to it
for that purpose the new capital of the Bank and
the dotation of the army. The elements of the
floating debt, which the above-cited laws had in
view to diminish, are evidently on account of their
being due at short sight—The Treasury bonds and
the Savings-banks funds.
" The first sums received from the dotation of
the army were applied to pay off Treasury-bonds.
That fund added to the increased revenue, and the
anticipation of the increased return of faxes enabled
us to liquidate more than 140 millions of Treasury-
bonds since February last. Thanks to the reduc-
tion of interest established with that view the de-
crease continues gradually and easily.

" The funds of savings banks pushed beyond a
certain limit would not leave that security to the
Treasury which is a necessary to a good financial
system. They amount at the present moment to
293,000,000 f., of which 197,000,000 f. have been
placed in the Government chest. I am happy to
inform your Majesty that the State will be enabled
to pay off a great portion without difficulty, and
without having recourse to a loan.
" The means at the disposal of the Treasury,
especially what we have to receive from the Bank
of France, and which I have carefully abstained
from touching with that object in view, and those
which the dotation of the army will give us, will
place nearly 200,000,000 f. at our disposal for that
purpose. But in this question it is not only the
Treasury which is concerned, and its interest must
be made to agree with that of the depositors."
(M. Magne then proposes that a project to that
effect shall be brought forward.)
M. Magne concludes his report with a compari-
son between the financial state of France at the

present moment and last year. M. Magne seizes
the opportunity of again attributing the improve-
ment to the wisdom of the Emperor.
" In the first nine months of 1858 (he says), the
imports of gold exceeded the exports to the amount
of 376 millions, and, what is worthy of observation,
the imports and exports of silver were nearly
balanced. In that short period the total amount
in circulation was increased to the amount of 374
millions. The Bank of France, the reserve of
which had fallen to 190 millions, has now a reserve
of 554 millions. _

" In a general point of view it must be admitted
that some excesses caused a certain stagnation in
business, but quiet soon restores activity ; such is
the common law. We already feel its happy in-
fluence, and the situation. of the country, so favour-
able in every respect, is a guarantee that the re-
vival will be energetic and permanent."

SPORTING NOTES.

THE DUKE OF BEAUFORT AND " AUNT

SALLY"

The case of " Weatherley v. the Duke of Beau-
fort" presents features of interest and amusement
to persons in the habit of frequenting race-courses,
while at the same moment the proceedingq will not
be without a material degree of usefulness. My
readers will, of course, be acquainted with the facts
of the case before these remarks come under their
observation. However, as the trial was of consi-
siderable length, a brief recital of the principal
incidents, with comments, may not be unacceptable,
especially to those persons who have merely been
enabled, by pressure on their time, to cast a cur-
sory glance at the reports whichy have been pub-
lished. The story of " Aunt Sally" is simple
enough, and may be told in a few sentences. Last
Brighton races his grace the Duke of Beaufort was
beguiling himself with a game which enjoys much
popularity with the race-going multitude. The
pastime of " Aunt Sally " is played in this
wise :—A wooden head, similar _to a barber's
block, is stuck on a thin crowbar about four feet
high, and at that portion of the face of the block
which should be adorned by the nasal organ there
is a small hole. " Nature hates a vacuum," and to
obviate the vacuity in the head of the doll, the
spirited proprietor of "Aunt Sally" inserts the
bowl end of a pipe, and emulous persons desirous
of breaking " Aunt Sally's" extempore nose are
permitted to have so many " shies" at a certain dis-
tance for a stated charge. On every occasion
on which the imaginary nose of " Aunt Sally" is
broken by the player he is rewarded by 'a
shilling from the pocket of the proprietor of
the amusing device. In fact, the game is
of a mild gambling description, which fascinates
by prospect of emolument, and allures by its inge-
nious peculiarities. We should state here, how-
ever, that the Duke of Beaufort never receives
anything won at the game, but merely plays from
a pure love of fun, and a desire to benefit the poor
people who belong to the "Aunt Sallies." His
grace would appear to be an uncommon hand at
the game. He seldom misses his aim, and is as
accomplished at the game of " Aunt Sally" as
Morphy at chess, or Stansfield at billiards. On
that particular day of Brighton races his grace
was astonishing a large crowd of persons by his
marvellous success in the demolition of " noses."
As a shilling is offered by the proprietors for every
triumphant essay made on poor "Aunt Sally," the
art of hitting her nose must be of great difficulty,
and the Duke's accomplishments must be of a
vastly superior order. Last Brighton races an
" Aunt Sally" was placed between the ropes which
mark the ground intended for vehicles and horses,
and there the Duke of Beaufort was engaged as
vigorous in the annihilation of "noses" as his
grace is ardent in the destruction of foxes at Bad-
minton. While the Duke was engaged in the act
of aiming a stick at "Aunt Sally," Mr. White
Weatherley, a person who describes himself " some-
times as a gentleman, but having occasionally
done a little in the veterinary art," appears upon
the scene mounted on a "gaunt grey horse." Whe-
ther this " gentleman"—who, by the by, is a Cockney,
living in one room, for which he pays five shillings
a week—first came in collision with the Duke, or
whether his grace was the first to come in contact
with Mr. White Weatherley, must remain a vexed
question, as on that point the evidence was very
conflicting. It is, however, certain that Mr.
White Weatherley had no possible right to be
within arm's-range of the Duke, and especially
where a crowd of pedestrians was assembled.

Be that as it may, the duke was, as I thoroughly
believe, run against by a mere lout on horseback,
who was so ill-bred that he neglected to offer an
apology, such as is common among gentlemen ac-
customed to polite society. Who can wonder that
such boorish behaviour extorted the remark from a
friend of his grace, that Mr. Weatherley was a
d—d tailor who " ought not to have been trusted
with a horse." The Duke of Beaufort, enraged at
the nonchalance of the individual by whom he con-
ceived he had been nearly injured and then in-
sulted, threw the sticks intended for " Aunt Sally"
at the mounted dabster in " the veterinary art."
The sticks were aimed with as much dexterity and
precision as if Aunt Sally had again been the
object of attack. One struck Mr. White
Weatherley on the back and another took effect on
the arm, causing merely a momentary sensation of
pain. The duke, noticing that Mr. White Weatherley
raised a crop hunting whip in a menacing manner,
and thinking he was about to be struck, by a rapid
movement managed to unhorse the occasional prac-
titioner of veterinary science, who descended on
his feet. Towering with indignation the " gentle-
man" of luxurious tastes, who lives in one room at
five shillings per week, rushed frantically for a
policeman, to elicit from the Duke of Beaufort his
name and address, which was at last, after some
delay, declared by an acquaintance of his grace.
The story ends so far, and the duke hears no more
of the matter until four days after, when he receives
a letter from an attorney—a certain Mr. Colom-
bine, of Basinghall-chambers. The reading of the
letter in court, from its high-flown impudence and
rhetorical vulgarity, excited much derision in
court. Such a specimen of impertinence and coarse
opinions, couched in schoolboy declamation, I
should think has never before been perused.
Imagine an attorney instructed to apply for an
apology and compensation for an injury, coolly
taking-the opportunity to offer his admonitions on
the duke's amusements or recreations. Telling his
grace, as Clara Vere de Vere was told in the
poem—

" You know so ill to deal with time,
You needs must play such pranks as these."

This wonderful epistle stated that the writer be-
lieved that at the time of the assault being com-
mitted his grace was " engaged in an amusement
the precise nature of which" the writer was " un-
acquainted with personally," and proceeds to charge
his grace with "propelling bludgeons" at the per-
son of his client. A higher strain is take". as this
legal and literary curiosity proceeds, and the moral
and verbose attorney completely soars on eagle's
wings with his theme. The Duke of Beaufort is
thus impressively reminded of the amenities and re-
sponsibilities of his high rank and position :—" It
would almost seem the sport in which your grace
was engaged is rather more becoming the humble
frequenters of race courses and apprentices,
than a peer of the realm. However, if a peer
thinks fit so to beguile his time, he must conduct
himself with the same propriety as others, or the
law will reach him as well as a poor man. I regret
that I shall be compelled to adopt the course sug-
gested, for the purpose of obtaining redress for my
client ; but this is somewhat diminished by the
fact that it may be useful to do so, to show that in
public places of resort, and especially where large
numbers of persons collect together, good conduct
must be observed and the peace preserved.
It is a subject of additional regret, that tho
position of your grace in society renders any pecu-
niary infliction without a public examination of
little avail in the absence of a full apology, and
such offer to requite my client for the personal in-
juries and insults shown to him while unprotected,
which, if made, shall be submitted to him, with
every wish to stop further proceedings,"
&e., &c. I find it impossible to believe, on a
reperusal of this precious effusion, that it is origi-
nal, or the production of an attorney engaged
day by day in mere six-and-eightpenny
formalities. The touching bit about the
peer of the realm and the poor man," &c., is
a cruel plagiary. It may be heard any
evening huzaaed at the Britannia and hailed with
applausive shouts at the Victoria. It has been
borrowed without acknowledgment from the works
of those poor gentlemen who " do" the " blood and
'thunder" dramas for the minor theatres and saloons.
Perhaps Mr. Colombine has one of those gentle-.
men as:a client, who works out his six-and-eight-
pences by throwing in a touch of the melodramatic
or pathos into Mr. Colombine's correspondence, as
occasion may require. If so, the gentleman has
done his work well ; he has blended an attorney's
formal insolence with clap-trap. All will perceive
the consummate impertinence of the writer's ad-
mitting, in the early part of the letter, that he was
" unacquainted" with the game his grace was en-