The Sun.
London, England, 1858-06-22 00:00:00

N OPERA. 4
•kJ FST I_ KJ •

We have already noticed Mr. E. T. Smith's suc-
cessful endeavour to improve the quality of his en-
tertainments while preserving their unprecedented
cheapness. We have noticed the important acces-
sion to the strength of the company in the person
of Madame, Pauline Yiardot ; and we have now to
mention another remarkable accession—that of
Madame Persiani, who appeared last night in the
" Puritani." Nay, more : we expect to announce
in a few days a third accession as important as either
of the above—that of the veteran Tamburini, who,
it is positively stated, has accepted an engagement
at tbis theatre. Tamburini enjoys a green old age,
with the mens sana in corpore sano. He will show
no great decay of his great powers ; and we may
look for a Don Giovanni at Drury-lane by the only
actor living who is capable of sustaining the cha-
racter.

Persiani's appearance last night drew an immense
audience, by whom the celebrated prima donna
was most warmly welcomed. She looked extremely
well—even youthful, and acted with the grace and
feeling which are so well rEmembered. Her voice
has lost some of its strength and volume ; but it
has its old flexibility and clearness. In the fine
quartet, "A te, o cars," she sang with exquisite
sweetness ; and in the favourite " Son vergina vez-
zosa," she was as light and brilliant as ever. The
opera, as a whole, was not as well supported as the
4' Barbiere di Siviglia." Signor Naudin's Arturo
is a coarse imitation of Mario ; and Badiali's Gior-
gio was a careful and intelligent performance, but
sadly defective in vocal power.

AT. JAMES'S lIALL-OHRISTY'S MINSTRELS.

The second day concert of this talented black
band took place yesterday at St. James's Hall. It
was divided into three parts. The first consisted
principally of separate airs, chiefly by Messrs.
Rayner, Collins, Wambold, E. H. Peirce, and
Christian, who has a most extraordinary power
of voice. The second part was devoted to
burlesque dancing and playing chiefly ; and the
third comprised the burlesque Italian opera. The
peculiar merits of this band, both collectively and
individually, are too well known to require now
much elaborate description. We can only say
their plaintive airs are as serious and beautiful as
ever ; their comic as characteristic ; and their bur-
lesque as grotesque and humorous. Neither their
vivacity nor their expression of character seem to
have been dulled nor abated by frequent repetition;
and their audience laughed as heartily and listened
as eagerly to the entire entertainment as ever.
The audience had on this occasion the addition of
the scholars of the Licensed Victuallers' School,
they having been invited, and their approbation
was fully shown by the intense enjoyment they
manifested and the laughter they indulged in. An
announcement was made that the concerts, having
been remarkably successful, would be continued
during the day occasionally, the evening perform-
ances still continuing in King William-street.

HER MAJESTY AT THE UNITED
SERVICE INSTITUTION.

The Queen and,the Prince Consort, accompanied by their
Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Brabant and
the Count of Flanders, paid a visit to the United Service
Institution in Whitehall-yard last evening. Her Majesty
was attended by the Duchess of Atholl ; the Prince Con-
fa)rt and the Duke of Brabant and the Count of Flanders
were on horseback, and in attendance were Col. Seymour,
Col. Bouverie, and Baron d'Overchie de Nerische.
Her Majesty and illustrious party arrived at a quarter
before six o'clock.

The chief object, it was understood, of the royal visit
was to see the model of Sebastopol just placed among the
interesting collection of the institution.
The Queen and the Prince Consort and their distin-
guished friends next viewed a beautiful model of the
English cemetery at Cathcart's-hill, the tombstones and
gravee of each noble and gallant soldier being clearly show'.
Captain Siborne's model of the battle of Waterloo was
then inspected by the illustrious company.
Her Majesty expressed a wish to visit the other apart-
ments, and subsequently went over the steam model room,
where portraits of the notorious Yeh and his father were
placed for her Majesty'sinspection, the armoury, tire. Among
the valued relics presented for the Queen's inspection were
the signal book of the Chesapeake, secured when that ship
was captured by the Shannon ; Capt. Cook's chronometer,
which is now wound up daily; the Arctic relics, obtained
by the different expeditions sent out in search of Sir John
Franklin; and Sir Francis Drake's walking stick. Among the
interesting objects submitted to her Majesty was a piece
of the timber of the Russian man-of-war the Twelve
Apostles, after its immersion for one year in the harbour
of Sebastopol, the wood being completely riddled with
worm holes. In juxtaposition a piece of English oak was
shown the Royal party, which had been buried in Calais
harbour for three hundred years, which, beyond being
blaek by the action of the sea water, was quite sound. In
an adjoining room was the cage in which Mrs. Noble was
carried about during her captivity in China—a rude
wooden construction, barely spacious enough to afford
comfort to a Cochin China fowl.

After paseing :an hour, the Queen and the Duchess of
Brabant, attended by the Duchess of Athole and Col.
Bouverie, left for Buckingham Palace.
The Prince Consort, with the, Duke of Brabant and the
Count of Flanders, remained until a quarter past 7 o'clock.

FRANCE.
PARIS, MONDAY.

The Emperor, the Empress, and the Prince
Imperial arrived at St, Cloud yesterday evening,
at seven o'clock. Their Majesties and the Prince
Imperial are in the enjoyment of excellent health.
In addition to Marshal Bosquet, Marshal Can-
rob,,rt also intends going to Plombieres, and
remaining there during the stay of the Emperor.
We published two days back from the Moniteur
a statement respecting the sale of landed property
belonging to the Hospice des Orpheliues at Roche-
fort. The official journal had not indicated the
source from which the article emanated, and the
inference generally drawn from the silence observed
on that point was that the document had proceeded
from the Minister of the Interior, under whose
authority such establishments are placed. At pre-
sent the Moniteur contains a rectification on that
head, and states that the note •in question ori-
ginated with the department of the Minister of
Marine.

The Non/iteur publishes the official return of the
Customs revenue for the month of May, amounting
to 18,127,885 fr., being a decrease of 604,476 fr., as
compared with the corresponding month of last
year. The receipts of the first five months of thepre-
sent year have been 73,758,17Gfr., or 5,538,851 fr.
less than in the same period of 1857. Taking as
the point of comparison the five months of the two
years, the items which show the principal falling
off are sheep and cattle, 31,311 fr. ; mahogany,
81,813 fr. ; potable liquors, 3,490,5261 r. ; cocoa,
27,245 fr. ; coffee, 1,263,145 fr. ; raw cotton,
156,669 fr. ; linen and hempen thread, 169,296 fr. ;
oleaginous seeds, 173,800 fr. ; indigo, 90,440 fr. ;
raw wool, 481,116 fr. ; rough castings, 677,5831 r. ;
bar iron and steel, 132,615 fr. ; silver and gold,
45,944 fr., the amount imported of the former
being 3,228,690 fr., and of the latter 886,171 fr. ;
nitrate of soda and potash, 34,272 fr. ; pepper,
50,668 f. ; raw and spun silk, 13,685 f. ; foreign
sugar, 242,989 f. ; linen and hempen cloth,
222,387 f. ; sundries, 1,545,229 f. The articles
which show an improvement are French colonial
sugar, 1,696,001 f. ; corn, 756,767 f. ; raw hemp
and flax, 122,061 f. ; cochineal, 19,430 f. ; tallow,
6,150 f. ; coal, 566,398 f. ; oil, 209,337 f. ; copper,
6,049 f. ; rough salt, 16,102 f. ; and sulphur,
26, 389 f.
The Moniteur de l' Armee contains the following
—" The Nuremberg Correspondent published re-
cently a Berlin letter announcing that dealers were
visiting various parts of Germany and purchasing
for the French Government horses for military
service. That statement, which has been repeated
by several journals, is completely false. The
French Government has given no one the mission
of purchasing horses abroad, and the resources of
France completely suffice to meet the ordinary
requirements of her cavalry."
BOURSE, June 21.—The folio wing were the closing
quotations
per Cents 94 25
Do. end month 94
3 per Cent. ..... 68 15
Do. end montb 6B 10
Bank Shares

Credit Fonder
Belgian 4,1 ...
Piedmontese (5)
Roman 9l
Austrian

Credit Mobilier ... 630 —i, Spanish Threes
Do. Account 622 fli ! Home Debt

Orleans
Northern
New Ditto 740
Lyon and Mediteran— 730
N3w Ditto
Geneva

RAILWAYS.— FOR CASH.
Midi
Western 586
Strasburg
Grand Central
Sardinian
Austrian

SPAIN.

The Madrid journals of the 17th do not contain
any political news. The Government was collect-
ing funds from the provinces to pay the half year's
dividends ; it had received 1,920,000 reals from
Andalusia, and was expecting large ones from
Castille, Valencia, and other provinces. The
Seville newspapers say that the odium has done
scarcely any harm to the vines of the Sherry
district of Serey de la Frontera. The same
journals state that English societies c'rculate great
numbers of bibles tracts, professions of Protestant
dc., in Andalusia.

A letter from Belgrade of the 11th says :
" After the dispersion of the band which endea-
voured to cut down the English flag, nothing ex-
traordinary has taken place here, except that the
Council of Ministers has assembled, and that the
foreign consuls were admitted to its deliberations.
The English consulate is now protected by a de-
tachment of 25 men of the regular troops. It is
said that the Turks are much excited against the
Christians."

Accounts from Teheran of the 20th May an-
nounce that the young Crown Prince had been
s riously ill. Fortunately, the European medical
man attached to the Court, Dr. Polak, had suc-
ceeded in subduing the malady, and the Prince had
recovered.

According to letters from St. Petersburg, the
Duke de Montebello, the French ambassador at the
Court of Russia, is to accompany the Emperor
Alexander in his visit to Archangel.

Another Berlin letter says :—" Prussia has con-
voked a general meeting of tke Zollverein at Han-
over, and has, in conjunction with Bavaria and
Saxony, drawn up a report setting forth the resul t
of the negotiations at Vienna, and discussing the
points which were not decided on there. This re•
port is to be communicated to the States forming
the Zollverein."

The German Universal Gazette contains an on
dit to the effect that Prince Alfred of England will
shortly arrive in Berlin and enter the first regi-
ment of the Guard, in order to become acquainted
with the Prussian military service.

The Chamber of Deputies of Hanover in its
sitting •f the 18th rejected by a majority of 43 the
proposition of the Government for the creation of
several secondary articles. The Chamber also re-
jected by a majority of 41 the demand of a credis for
the construction of three new infantry barracks.

GREAT FIRE AT FRESH- WHARF,

LONDON BRIDGE.

Yesterday mornieg a fire, involving the destruction
of property even to a greater amount than the one that
took place on Saturday night at Limehouse, broke out
on Fresh Wharf, Lower Thames-street, adjoining Lon
don bridge. The premises are well known to most
steamboat passengers paseirg along the river, as covering
an immense space of ground, on which stood a great
number of lofty warehouses, containing in the whole
property valued at more than a million sterling.
It appears that about a dozen men employed on the
wharf had their attention directed to huge bodies cf
smoke as black as soot issuing from the loopholes and
windows of the silk floor. Feeling satisfied that a fire
bad occurred, they at once gave information to Mr.
Charles Clark, the inspector of the wharf, who sent for
Mr. Inspector Kilbey, at Seething lane.
Mr. Inspector Mitchell next arrived with a body of
police, followed by numerous engines of the London
Brigade, and that of the West of England Company,
bringing with them Mr. Superintendent Braidwood,
Acting-foreman Bridges, and several other officers. A
good supply of water was obtained from the land
• side of the premises, on which tho engines were made
to play ; but the fire continuing to spread, the two
steam floating engines were sent for, and the one
stationed at Rotberhitbe, and that from Southwark-
bridge arrived in little nore than a quarter of an hour.
The whole of this force was called into full operation,
but the flames continued their ravages until they
reached the upper floor, and although the water from
the goats kept falling in torrents, the firemen could not
prevent the roof being destroy,d. It, however, quickly
fill in, and enabled the firemen to throw about 2,800
gallons of water per minute from each of the floating
engines, the water ran down through the different flours
and completely saturated them. By 12 at noon, just
four hours and a half after the commencement of the
misfortune, the firemen began to see that their labours
were successful, and no apprehensions need be feared
of any further extension of the mischief, but so great
was the body of fire which 'even then remained in the
three upper floors, as to preclude the possibility of the
fire being entirely extinguished until late in the evening.
The property known to be destroyed must be enor-
mous. It was stated that one house alone had 25 000/
worth of silk in the building, but although the infor-
mation was obtained from an official of the wharf it is
to be hoped that he has made a mistake in the amount.
The lessee of the premises, it is understood, was Mr.
linibb, the wbatfinger.

During the fire one or two accidents occurred. An
engineer, named Holloway► employed on one of the
scam-fl .ats, got his hand entangled iu a cogwheel,
and will probably have to undergo amputation. A bri-
gade fireman► named Crosby, was severely injured in
the same way.

TUE GREAT FIRS AT LIMERoUSE.—At the great fire,
which took pace on Saturday night, at the extensive
boat-building promisee of the Messrs. Forrestt, Lime-
house, we regret to state that six life-boats, belonging to
the Royal Natiosal Life-boat Institution, were also un-
fortunately consumed. The life-boats were nearly all
completed, and arrangements were about to be made to
send them to their stations at Cromer and Bacton, Nor-
fog( ; Frazerburgh, in Scotland ; and Rosslare and Kil
more on the Irish oast. Some life-boat fittings, cork
life-belts, liquid life-boat compasses, cordage, and other
valuable stores, were likewise entirely lost to this phi-
lanthropic institution, which has of late years been
inakin4; such great efforts to supply the coast with ofh-
c.ent life-boats.

THE FATAL ACCIDENT ON TBE
WESTERN RAIL WAY.

BISHOPSTOKE, JUNE 21.

Beyond the facts elicited at the inquest, and the names
and particulars of the sufferers by the accident which
occurred last night, there is very little to communicate
in addition to the statement with which I furnished you
by telegraph. The cause of the carriages getting off the
line seems involved in inextricable mystery,. The fol-
lo sing is a list of the deceased and injured passengers
as far as known :
William Helsey, aged 40, steel, copperplate, and
lithographic printer, of No. 8, Seacual-lane,
Sarah Lovell, aged 22, niece of the deceased, sustained
severe injury to the soft parts of the left arm, an extensive
fracture connected with the elbow joint, and the light
shoulder lacerated to a great extent, laying bare the
ligaments, besides considerable prostration of the us-
tem. She is still in great danger.
Eugene Perin, aged 24, basket maker, of Leather-
lane, has an extensive lacerated wound of the left arm,
producing a fracture connected with the Elbow joint.
The injury to the soft parts is so extensive that his life
is still considered in danger, and some days must elapse
before any steps can be taken as to amputation or other-
wise.

These axe the only two cases left here, all the rest
having gone on to London in the train. Six medical
gentlemen were in attendance upon the sufferers last
night—viz , Dr. Fox, son of Mr. L. 0. Fox, surgeon, of
Broughton, near Romsey ; Mr. Brooks, surgeon, of
Bit.hopstoke ; Dr. Hearne, Mr. Welch, and Mr. Hine,
of Southampton ; and a gentleman who was a passenger
in the train, described on his card as "Docteur
Piedeoel, 3, Boulevart. de Sebastopol (Rive Gauche)."
'The two surviving patients remain under the care of Dr.
Hearne at the Junction Hotel.

The inquest on the deceased man Helsey was com-
menced at 4 o'clock this afternoon, at the hotel, before
Mr. J. H. Todd, county coroner, and a respectable jury.
Mr. Archibald Scott (traffic manager), Mr. W. F. God-
eon (superintendent of traffic), and Mr. John Strap?
(resident engineer), were in attendance to watch the case
on the part of the South-Western Railway Company.
Having been sworn, the jury proceeded to view the body
of the deceased, which presented a frightful appearance,
the skull being dreadfully fractured and smashed, laying
open to view the top of the spinal cord. They next
examined the line, which afforded no clue whatever to
the cause of the accident. The carriages went off the
line at the points, and appear to have been dragged
about 50 yards before the spot was reached where Het-
sey was killed. Singularly enough, two cf the carriages
got safely on to an inner line of rails, dragging
along the third-class carriage, which contained the suf-
ferers, between the two lines until the coupling chain
_broke. Nut the slightest injury was dune to the rails,
and even a scratch on the ground is scarcely to be seen.
When the carrisge turned over the deceased's head came
in contact with the lever of the points, which caused the
injuries to his skull, and the ground and broken iron are
stained with the poor fellow's blood. On returning to
the jury-room,
Tee Coroner observed that he had held his office longer
than this railway had been opened, and it was only right
he should say this was the first case of a passenger being
killed on the line in which he had been called on to hold
an inquest, although an extensive portion of the railway
ron through his district. This was a fact creditable to
the management of the South-Western Company.
Mrs. Eliza Helsey, widow of the deceased, was the
first witness examined. She stated that the train came
up from Portsmouth at about the usual pace, and she
observed nothing peculiar until the moment of the acci-
dent. All of a sudden, as they approached the station,
she found the carriage turn round like a top, which was
the first thing noticed calculated to produce alarm.
There were about 30 persons in the carriage, which was
a third class one. Deceased was standing up looking out
of the carriage, when it turned over on its side. They
all fell together in a heap, and deceased's head struck 'on
a bar of iron which was on the line He had a cap ont
which came off. Oa looking towards her husband she
saw the iron under his teed, and his head crushed and
bleeding very much, end the brains scattered about. He
never spoke or moved afterwards. Witness was bruised.
They had a niece with them, who was sitting on the
same seat as her uncle, and she was very nearly killed.
Every assistance was immediately rendered, but elle
could not recollect how she was got out of the carriage.
Several doctors and others came, and all was done that
eeuld be done to assist them, and every attention paid by
all parties. Witness could form no possible idea of ths
cause of the accident, and had no complaint to make ci
any nature.
Wm. Tilbury Fox, M. 8., of the General Lying-is;
Hospital, York-road, London, was next examined-el
was in the Southampton train yesterday evening a -fen
minutes before 8 o'clock, and saw the Portsmouth trail)
shut off steam a long way down the line. I lost sight
of the train for a few seconds by some intercepting
buildings, and when we pulled up to allow the
Portsmouth train to go on a-head, I looked out of the
window and observed some confusion at the station:
Hearing that some carriages had got off the rails
got out and walked up the line, and found a third-clase
carriage turned over on its side. The railway servant°
were engaged in taking out the passengers, and part 0}
the carriage roof was kni eked off for that purpose.
then saw the deceased lying on his left side, with his face
on the ground. I saw at once that he was dead;
skull being extensively fractured. An iron bar running
along the side of the carriage was lying upon the upper
side of his head, and forced into it. Seeing that be Wes
dead, and other passengers were seriously injured, I at'
tended to them. I did not so,e the deceased removeds
but saw him again afterwards when he bad been take°
into the waiting room. He had an extensive fracture
of the skull, which was laid open in such a manner the/
death must have been immediate.
John Gibbons, the engine-driver in charge of the 0'
cursion train from Portsmouth, said that nothing re-
markable occurred until the train arrived at the static°
at 7.48 p.m. The steam was shut off two miles frora the
station, and the train ran in at the rate of about Weil
or eight miles an hour. After turning the curve Ibe
got about 20 yards from the points when I felt a slid':
jerk of the engine, as if something was not quite right.
I immediately saw a man in front of the engine holdlua
both his bands up as a signal to stop. I reversed Well;
gine and stopped the train in about 20 yards. There wera
18 carriages in the train. I then got off the engine set
went back, and found a third-class carriage turned cila
on its side. I assisted in getting out a little girl,
also the deceased, who was quite dead. The eagle
and 14 of the carriages were on the 'eloper line, and eagle
guards' -van and a first-class carriage were on the leer
line against the platform. I can form no idea whates;s
as to the cause of the separation, and can only acoctl•
,b
for the third.class carriage being turned over by d
separation. I examined the rails, and could see nothic
to explain the accident. Only one carriage turn`
va
oi,
over. There was another carriage off the rails vibl
did not turn over. I saw the pointsman at the proPel
place. I cannot say whether the carriages got off at I,mo
points or after passing them. If the &loin tsman had 10
go the points before all the carriages had passed 01
that would not account for the accident.
bi°
John Titheridge, pointeman on duty, explained,
duties, and his compliance with them on this oce4ol°,y
He held the handle till all the carriages were P:o
the points, but if he had not done so the effect wouldo,,
have been to throw the carriages off the line. The polo;
were self-acting, and were only held to insure pcsitaloi
safety, and save wear and tear. All the carriages 1356-‘lO
the points on the right line, and immediately afterveal
he observed that some of the carriages had separel'eo
from the train, two being on the inside line, and ",.•
turned over between the two lines. There might 13°4
been another off, which witness did not notice. Witns_s,
saw no more at that time, as he had to remain at his 5*
--0
the Southampton train being expected. He could
no idea whatever as to the cause of the accident. p%
looked over the line afterwards, but found nothing ivr°
with either the rails or the points.
Benjamin Barrett, the guard of the train, saw a thirdl
d'
class carriage jump and go off the line en the right 13111:60.
about the time they passed the points. Could not
count for the separation, but had no doubt it occuereuib•
the time the jerk was felt. Went back and looked at :o
points, and found everything all right. The train

not going faster than eight or nine miles an hour.
Mr. Henry Wilmer, station master, at Bishopstolho,
was present this morning when the carriages Were 410
mined by Mr. Ireland, of the carriage department, the
defect or imperfection whatever was found either lo did
wheels, axles, or framing of any of them which *°•-,0
account for the accident. One axle of the evertur°
carriage was slightly bent, but that appeareA%,(l
Lave been caused by the fall. Every rneari!ot►
been adopted to ascertain the cause of the eceL"- to
but without success. Nothing had been doneuo
the points since the accident, and they had been to
without any repair or alteration. Aree"
The only other witness examined was George ' the
thorn, a puintsman on duty at the bridge, who ea,WA pot
carriages go off the line and one turn over, but cituvet
know from what cause. signalled the engine-oti
to stop, which was done as speedily as possible. that,
The Coroner briefly summed up, remarking of
though there was no evidence to establish the eau' yea
the carriages getting off the line, they negatively Pfuoir
that no blame attached to any one, and that no fa. 9
duct existed. for
Tne jury returned a verdict of "Accidental
'a
exonerating the railway company and their offiel
blame.

It
THE LATE TRAGICAL OCCCIRRENQE AT ISLINGTOI-00
will be remembered that Mr. Hughes, the father (:),, 000
ceceased man, stated at the inquest that when bl'ioo.
left home he had a watch and money in his posseee'od
it is satisfactory, however, to know that upon fie3ref 010
the bedroom of his unfortunate son he found one tld the
drawers lucked, and upon opening it he cliscoveref the
missing watch, chain, and money. The body A
female was interred at tke Abney Park Cetnetet.ro of
verdict of felo de se having been returned in the cti'vist,
the man, tie was Lurie,' at Finchley Cemetery he"
the hours of nine and twelve on Fiiday night. ocyter
LEGAL CHANGES IN SCOTLAND.—The Lord Ad V, etiCe
Mr. Inglis, is to be elevated to the bench as Lord., e 0 Ist
Clerk ; like his predecessor in office, Mr. Inglis steps
dtetorti
once from the position of Dean of Faculty lb°
Advocate to the all but highest legal position at t' pill
posal of the Crown. His successor as Lord.Advvo,t. Os.
be the present Solicitor-General, Mr. Charles Plors
For tho Solicitor Generalship there seems a B. e sr,
scramble. The psi ties meet freely named are 'sorer
George Dutidas, Mi. Get:4;e IjaLUD, Mr. DAvid Jobs
and Mr. Archd. Boyle. It is rular.ured that Air, ser
Mackerzie Land-.ay, one of the principal Clerks eiv,r6.,
sioo, has iesigne.l, and that Mr. Arad. .
ie
brother of the Lord President of the Court of Siebl°Or
to be Lib 511Ceeil6or,—a/avow jpady Mad,