The Sun.
London, England, 1858-02-01 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

Sir,—As head of the family of which Mr. John Peter
Grant is a member, I am desirous of informing you that
letters have been received from him by the last Indian
mail, dated from Benares on the 21st of December, im-
mediately after he became aware of the story relating to
his having released 150 mutineers and interfered with
General Neill. In regard to this he writes:—
"The answer is that there is not the slightest conceiv-
able foundation for any part of the edify I have not
released or pardoned a single person. No case about
European soldiers assaulting mutineers, or rebels being
released, or ordered to be released, ever occurred at all
either at Cawnpore or any where else. I never saw Gen.
Neill, nor had any relations with him of any sort, public
or private, or any concern with any of his measures; and
beyond thinking him a very fine fellow, and expressing
my opinion of him frequently, I have never taken a part
in anything relating to him, or bad as opportunity of
doing so."
My brother concludes his remarks on the calumnious
charges which have been brought against him with the
following reflection:—
"It is, no doubt, a painful thing to be traduced in
this way, but those over whom this tempest has burst,
and who have suffered nothing worse than this, I hope,
temprary annoyance, have infinite reason for thankful.
;Nee'

Requesting that my communication may meet with
an early insertion in your newspaper, I have the honour
to be, sir, your obedient humble servant,

W. P. GRANT.
20, Abercromby-place, Edinburgh, Jan. 20.

SOUTH STAFFORDSHIRE RAILWAY.—It is officially
announced that the Norton and Cannock branches will
be opened for traffic to-day (Monday).
BLACKWALL RAILWAY —ln consequence of the friendly
understanding between the London and North West-in
and Great Northern Companies, arrangements, it is
said, are in progress for a junction of the line of the
Great Northern with that of the North London Union,
through which passengers, by the Great Northern will
have the option of proceeding to Blackwell or Fen-
church-street, instead of being set down at Kings-cross
NORTH LONDON.—The accounts of this company are
not all in, hut it is believed by parties well acquainted
with the line and its traffic that the dividend will be not
far on either side of a rate equal to 4 per cent, per
annum.

MDDLAND. —lt is said that the dividend will ho at fie
rate of 5 per cent. per annum for the past half-year.
LONDON AND NORTE WESTERN.--Though not abso-
lutely settled, it is pret y well understood that this cem•
pany will divide for the past half-year at the rate of 5i
per cent. per annum.
RAILWAY TZAFFIO EXTRAORDINARY.—The enormous
benefits to the public, and profits to the companies, of
cheap and excursion trains, may be judged of by the
traffic of one station alone—that of Chester, which pre-
sents for the past season, or half-year of 1857, upwards
of one-this d of a million of extra passengers through the
station, in addition to the ordinary traffic, which
averaged 110 trains a day, and about 50,000 passengers
a week. This traffic was conducted by Mr. Janes and
Mr. Mills at Chester, Mr. Kelly at Shrewsbury, and
Mr. M'Kee at Birkenhead, without accident or serious
delay of any kind. Upwards of one-half of it was from
the Great Western, through North Wales, and a large
portion from Birkenhead, mainly towards Manchester
and London, and involved no additional outlay, but
much cheerfu llabour to the railway employes.—Liver-
pool Daily Pest. '
THE WESTMINSTTR ABBEY SERVICES —Ye.
evening the fifth of the series of Westminster Abbey
services, designed for the benefit of the working classes,
was held in the nave, which was, as on previous secs
Mons, densely crowded. Full choral service was per-
formed, prayers being read by the Rev J. C. Haden,
M.A., one of the minor canons, and the lessons were
read by the Very Rev, the Dean. The preacher was
the Rev. C. J. Phipps Eyre, M.A., rector of Marv's,
bone, who selected as his text the 25th verse of the 7th
chapter of St. Paul's Epistle to the Hebrews—" Where-
fore He is also able to save them to the uttermost that
come unto God by Him, seeing that He ever liveth to
make intercession for them." The rev. gentleman
proceeded to enlarge upon this theme with great
eloquence, and conducted by a pathetic appeal to those
present to receide the Gospel message. The seroion in
the Abbey next Sunday evening wi I be preached by the
Revs Dr. Moberlev, head master of Weacbester Soh 101
MINCHIN HAMPTON AND ITS CHURCH,—There are
few more pleasant parts of England than that portion of
Gloucestershire known as the Stroud valley : there you
have always a diversity of hill and dale rarely to be
equalled ; there, also, you seem to possess brighter
skies and more sunny weather. When, indivi tastily,
one has kind friends in the reighbourbood, tie attraction
is still greater ; and if, in addition to all these advan-
tages, good specimens cf ancient art can be found, why
then surely, the enjeyment of any reasonaule ma'. must
be complete. And, taking up at once the professional
part of the subject, let us say that Gloucestt r and
Tewkesbury, Cirencester and Eleetone, will furnish
the student with as much material as he can use for a
time ; and, if he does not fear a hilly walk, he will, about
four miles from Stroud, find Minohin Hampton. We
know from experience that the walk is trying, but we
know also that the re Nerd is very great. Once upon
a time (that is, 12 years ago), the whole of the ancient
parish church was in being ; now, only the transepts
and tower remain. The other portions of the building
have been removed, only to be replaced by a wooden
nave and chancel, which, to say the least, d x not in
any degree distract your attention from the transept and
tower. The south transept is particularly worthy of
notice, The stone ribs of the roof are almost unique.
There is one other isee-imen, on a very small scale, at
Willingham, in Cambridgeshire, hut the roof of Minchin
Hampton stands alone for boldness of conception and
execution —The Builder.
TITLES OF THE FIRST EMPIRE.—The death a short
time since of the Due de Dalnetio has directed attention
to the families which were ennobled under the First
Empire. The following is a list of the titles still exist-
ing, and of those which have become extinct in the male
line. The titles of duke which still exist in the persons
of direct heirs are those of 8W431110 (Maret), Cadore
(Champagny), Rivoli (Massene), Prince of Dieting,
Treviso (Mortier), Elchingen (Ney) Prince de la Moe-
cows, Massa (Regnier), Rovigo (Savary), Bellune
(Perlin), Tarente (Macdonald), Valmy (Kellerman),
Abrantvs (Junot), Albufera (Sachet.), Vicence (Caulin-
conrt), Montehelle (Latino), Padoue (e.rriehi), Plaisance
(Lehr*, o:rante (Fouche), Wagram (Berthier), Prince
ite Neuchatel. The titles which ar et xtitiet areCastiglione
(Augeroau), Anerstae 't (Davoust), Prince d'E
Feltre (Clarke), Gae-.e (Gaudin), Raguese (Marmont),
Danizick (Lefebvre), Frieul (Michel du Bee), Istria
(Bee neres). The Prince Duke de Pontecorvo (Berna-
dotte) was elected to the throne of Sweden, which his
son new occupies. The title of Prince Duke de Bencvent
(Talleyrand) would have died with him had net his
brother been authorized by a royal erdoneanee, of Dec
25, 1815, to take the title cf Prince de Telleyrarel,
which he transmitted to tee present Duke do Talleyrand
Perigord, father of the Dukes de Va.ericay and de Diet).
The title of Duke de Centesoano was transferred by a
royal ordonnance of Deeerubsr 21, 1825, in default of
direct hairs, to Baron do Gillevoi!'n, the son-le-law to
Marshal Moncey. Lastly, the ti le of Prince Duke de
Panne (Cambaceres) has ceased, to tximt, but a decree of
May 27, 1857, trauefeered to tne present Grand-Master
of the Ceremonies of the Emperor the title of Doke de
Cambaceres.

LATEST NEWS.

FRANCE.
PARIS, SUNDAY.

The new project, which i)ears the popular appel-
lation of the Loi des Suspects, though not so sweep-
ing and so ruthless as the imagination ind ulged in,
is, nevertheless, very stringent. It contains
nine clauses, and among other provisions it ren-
ders all those who were condemned by the special
commission after the coup d'itat, or by the
ordinary tribunals at the same period, liable
to transportation for new offences and words
which may be construed into hatred or threats
against the Government, render those who utter
them liable to the same punishment. One clause
in particular excited great opprobium in the
Council of State. It proposed to give the autho-
rities power to expel from the country, or to re-
move from the large towns, the persons who were
arrested temporarily during the coup d'etat; on
no charge, but merely by way of precaution ;
in fact, to prevent them doing harm to others, or
harm themselves, but who were soon after allowed
to return to the country. Such a clause would affect
some of the most distinguished in France, as
statesmen, writers, or soldiers. It was opposed
vigorously and angrily ; and we are told
that the Emperor ordered the clause to be
expunged. Among others who most strenu-
ously opposed the Ministerial measure was M.
de Parrieu, Vice-Presidt nt of the Council of
State, and M. Chaix d'Est Ange, the newly-ap
point ed Procureur. M. de Parrieu, to his honour,
is said to have positively refused to draw up the
report which will have to be presented to the Legis-
lative Corps. There is hardly a deputy you speak
with who does not condemn the project; when the
time for voting comes there is little doubt it will be
voted by a large majority. -
It is said that, notwithstanding the exertions of
the police, no accessories to the plot to assassinate
the Emperor have been discovered ; and that the
four principals already in custody, and two •there
who have escaped from justice, will be brought to
trial. The report of the " Chambre des Mises en
Accusation" will be read to-morrow. It, of course,
recommends the prisoners shall be put on their
trial.

The reports in circulation relative to measures
restrictive of the liherty of the subject to be pro-
posed by the French Government, in consequence
of the attempt to assassinate the Emperor, together
with the violent language used in some of the mili-
tary addresses presented to the Emperor, have
checked the improvement which was beginning to
be observed in the general trade of the couniry.

PRUSSIA.
BERLIN, JAN. 30.

- - -
The Prince and Princess of Prussia duly arrived
in all safety at Cologne, on the 27th instant, and
passed on from thence to Coblentz, making use, for
the first time, of the new railway that runs round
Cologne, connecting the different railway termini.
Part of heir Royal Highnesses' suite reached here
on Thursday morning, but the Prince himself ar-
rived only this morning, having made a little
detour by way of Frankfort and Mayence, in order
that he might visit the scene of the late disas er.
The Princess will remain at Coblentz till about
February 3, and then come on to Berlin. Most of
the gentlemen composing the suite of the Prince
and Princess of Prussia, and of their son, have
received orders or other distinctions in connexion
with rheir participation in the late interesting cere-
mony. Count Puckler and the Cabinet-rath
Matra are made Actual Privy Councillors, which
c ,nfers on them the title of Excellency ; Count
Berl storti has received the Grand Cross of the
Hohenzollern Order, General von Schreckenstein
that of the Red Eagle, in brilliants ; Gen. Moltke
and Count Boos, the Red Eagle, of the second
class ; Lieut.-Colonel von Boyers and Colonel von
Alvensleben, the Knights' Cross of the Hohen-
zollern Order, and Major Count Goltz the Red
Eagle, of the third class.

AUSTRIA.
VIENNA, JAN. 29.
Since the Austrian Government has expressed its
willingness to alter anything in the Riverain Con-
vention which is not in strict accordance with the
Vienna Act of Congress, the French Government
has bec. me less violent. The Berlin Cabinet begins
to fear that the Powers may wish to make some
changes in the Act of Navigation for the Rhine,
and, consequently it is no longer such a warm
partisan of the French Government in the
matter of the free navigation of the Danube as it
was a week or 10 days ago. If the information
given me be correct, her Majesty's ministers have
made " such a sad mess" of the whole affair, that
they must heartily wish to have the question
settled without any public explanttions on tb• part
of this Government.