The Sun.
London, England, 1858-06-07 00:00:00

CONTRACTS FOR COALS AND CANDLES, 1858-9.

WAR OFFICE, PALL•MALL, LONDON, S.W.,
24th May. 1858.
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, That sealed
Tenders will be received at this Office on or before Tuesday,
the 22d day of June next, for the supply of such quantities of Coals
and Candles as may be required for service at the several War
Department Stations in Great Britain and the Channel Islands, for
a period of nine months from the Ist July, 1858.
All proposals to c ntract must be made upon the proper printed
form, which may be obtained on application at this office, between
the hours of ten an 1 four.
The Tenders must also be made for the several Stations as joined
together in the particulars of contract, and must be marked on the
outside, " Tender for Coals," or " Tender for Candles." as the case
may be. THOMAS HOWELL, Director of Contracts.

VAST and WEST INDIA DOCK COMPANY.
The Court of Directors of the East and West India Dock Com-
pany Hereby give Notice, That the Transfer Books of the said Com-
pany will be shut on ATUBDAY, the 12th day of June, and open
again on MoNDAY, the sth July, 1858.
By order of the Court.
GEORGE COLLIN, Secretary.
East and West India Dock House, Billiter-square,
sth June, 1858.

F.CONOMY.—A Nine Gallon Cask of First
Clan DINNER SHERRY for 71, cask included—Cash.—
HENEKEY, ABBOTT, and Co., 22 and 23, nigh Holborn. Esta-
blished 1831.

ORNAMENTS for the Drawing-room, Library,
and Dining-roam. consisting of a new and elegant assortment
of VASES, Figures, Groups, Candlesticks, Obelisks, Inkstands,
beautiful Inlaid Tables, Paperweights, &c., in Italian Alabaster,
Marble, Bronze, Derbyshire Spar, &c. Imported and manit"actured
by JAMES TENNANT, Mineralogist to her Majesty, 149, Strand,
London. _ _

Mr. Tennant arranges elementary collections of Shells, Minerals,
and Fossils, which will greatly facilitate the interesting study of
Conchology, Mineralogy, and Geology, at 2,5, 10, 20, to 100 guineas
each.
Mr. Tennant gives Practical Instruction in Geology.

QT. JAMES'S HALL, Regent-street and Picca-
dilly. The CAFE and RESTAURANT which are in con-
nection with this attractive building comprise upon a similar scale
of elegance and effect numerous rooms for public and private parties
recuiring refreshments, whether breakfasts, luncheons, dinners, or
suppers.
The SMOKING-ROOM, which is fitted in a manner equivalent to
the generalcbaracter of every other department of this superb and
unrivalled establishment, is supplied with the periodicals and all the
novel publications emanating from Mudio's library, with all the
papers of the day.
The department appropriated to families and ladies is replete with
every convenience and accommodation.
Wines and Spirits of the highest character.
Wll. DDNALD, Proprietor, 69, and 71, REGENT-STREET.

ROYAL FREE HOS:
—The THIRTIETH AN:
of the funds of this Hospital, will
Tavern, on Wednesday, the 9th d;
The Right Hon. the Earl

His Grace the Duke of Manchester
His Grace the Duke of Northam-

berlani
The Right Hon Earl Talbot
The Right Ron the Earl of Brad-

ford
The Right Rev the Bishop of St

David's
The Right Rev the Bishop of St

Asaph
The Right Hon Viscount Dillon
The Rt Hon Lori Stanley,
The Earl of Lincoln, M.P.
Viscount Newport, M.P.
Lord Ashley, M.P.
Lord Burghley. M.P.
The Rt Hon WM. Cowper, M.P.
The Rt Hon Henry Fitzßoy, M.P.
The Rt Hon C re'hani Villiers,

;PITAL, Gray's-inn-road.
NIVERSARY FESTIVAL, in aid

l take place at the Freemasons'
fay of June, at 6 o'clock ;
of POWIS in the Chair.
'ARDS.
W G Craven, Esq
F Dawes Danvers, Esq
Victor De Meric, Esq
Henry De Vitre, Esq
Alexander Dobie, Esq
Henry Dolan, Esq
Thomas Eaton, Esq
J Ross Farquha son, Esq
Henry Fryer, Esq
Francis Fuller, Esq
Frederick J Gant, Esq
J Greatorex, Esq
Saml Carter Hall, Esq
Edmund II alswell, Esq, M. A.,
F.R.S.
Joseph Hannah, Esq
Arthur 11. Hassan, Esq., M.D.
Benjamin Head, Esq
Vice-Admiral Sir Thos. Herbert,
K.C.B.
Colonel Ouseley Higgins
John Ilooper, Esq.
Alfred Jones, Esq
Captain W. H. Kennedy, Deputy
Commissary-G ••neral
Win Lawrence, Esq., Alderman
and ;sheriff •
Wm. Drury Lowe, Eat
John Masterman, Esq, Treasurer
George Moore, Esq
Thos Marsh Nelson, Esq
Sir Lydston Newman, Bart
Wil iam O'Connor, Esq, M.D.
Rev J IS Owen, M.A.
R T Perkin, Esq
The Hon P Sydney Pierrepont
Wm Pritchard, Esq
J J Ruskin, Esq
William Rashleigh, Esq
B C Robinson, Esq
Alfred Sartoris, Esq
Samuel Len Schuster, Esq
Joseph S .ott, E,q
George Simpson, Esq
A It 'teele, Esq
Sir Henry J St, aces, Bart
George Waite, Esq
W E Wahnisley, Esq
sV II Warre, Esq
General Watkins
John Watson, Et.q
II S IVestmacott, Esq
II PT Wilberforce, t sq

M.P.
The Hon G H C Byng, M.P.
The Hon It Windsor Clive, M.P.
Major-Gen Sir Wm Fen vick Wil-
liams of Kars, Bart, K.C.8.,
M.P.
Sir James Duke, Bart, M.P.
W W Bramson Beach, Esq, M.P.
Peter Blackburn, Esq, M.P.
iteristh Botflel I, Esq,
John Brady, Esq, M.P. ..
T W Evans, Esq, M.P.
J W Hunt, Esq, M.P.
Townshend Mainwaring, Esq,
M.P. .
The O'Donoghtte of the Glens,
M.P.
Sir Henry C. Rawlinson, K.C.8.,
M.P.
Wm Roupe:l, E,q.
Sir Windham C Anstrather, Bart
W P Andrew, Esq
David Barclay, Esq
J Barned, Esq
John Bent:ey, Esq
Jas Bowyer, Esq
William Brillion, Esq,
Captain Sir G N Broke, Bart
J P Bull, Esq
T Beale Brownl, Esq, High
Sheriff for Glocestershias
Col Wm Burlton, C. S.
Charles Cainmell, Esq
Charles Candy, EN
Weeden Cooke, Ezq
By Order,

S. S. SMITH. Sec.

MR. CHARLES DICKENS.

None can escape calumny, but towards people of
note there is generally so much of envy or hatred
in the mind of some enemy, that slander is ready
and strong in its attacks ; whilst amongst the world
at large the tone of gossip and a morbid greediness
to believe evil renders men blind to all fair views,
and indisposed to any candid. investigation of the
matter alleged.
The character of a man like Mr. Dickens is pubic
property. It should be as respected as that of a
bishop or a judge. In his long career of authorship
Mr. Dickens has most prominently insisted upon
and vindicated domestic morality. His tales are
read and cherished by home fireside 3, and the
families of England have adopted his works as
" household words," filled as the are in every page
with the simplest and loftiest morality, and utterly
free from any taint or stain of vice.
It is unkind and cruel, then, as well as unjue,
to listen with hasty and believing ears to the stories
which—repeated now with a sarcasm, now with a
real or feigned sorrow—have been circulated during
the last few days.. A character amiable and blame-
less has proved no shelter, and falehood has been
busy in doing its worst to destroy a gond reputation.
Under these circumstances Mr. Dickens makes
the following statement, which is to appear in
Household Words on Wednesd ty next. '1 ho accu-
sation against Mr. Dickens has been one of
gross profligacy. We welcome his authoritative and
touching denial of it. His friends needed no ex-
planation. Those intimate with him knew the truth,
and his general acquaintances scouted the calum-
nies ; but the hundred tongues of Fame had spread
abroad the poison among those who were ignorant
of him, and we are glad he has stepped forward
like a man, at whatever cost to his feelings, to
brush away the web of untruth, and to claim the
belief due to candour and innocence. We are con-
fident that the sympathy felt by the public will be
deep in proportion to the injury; and that from the
moment Mr. Dickens' statement is read, it will be
accep•ed as a sufficient vindication of the honour
of his untarnished name :
" PERSONAL.

"Three-and-twenty years have passed since I entered
on my present relations with the public. They began
when I was so young, that I find them to have existed
for nearly a quarter of a century.
"Through all that time I have tried to be as faithful to
the public a-I they have been to me. It was my duty never
to trifle with them, or deceive them, or presume upon their
f tvour, or do anytning with it but work hard to justify
it. I have always endeavoured to di-charge tbat duty.
"My conspicuous positi m has often made me the
subject of fabulous stories and unaccountable statements.
o.Tasionally such things have chafed me, or even
wounded me; but I have al ways accepted them as the
shadows inseparable from the light of my notoriety and
success. I have never obtruded any such personal un-
easiness of mine upon the generous aggregate of my
audience.

"For the first time in my life, and I belinve for the
last, I now deviate from the principle I have so long ob-
served, by presenting myself in my own journal in my
own private character, and entreating all my brethren
(as they neem that they have reason to think well of me,
and to know that I am a man who has ever been un-
affectedly true to our common calling), to lend their aid
to the dissemination of my present worth'.
" Some domes:in trouble of mine, of long-standing, on
which I will make no further remark than that it claims

to be respected, as being of a sacredly private nature,
has lately Leen brought to an arratigtment, which in-
volves no anger or 111-will of any kind, ar.d the whole
origin, progress, and :urrounding circumstances of
which have been, throughout, within the knowledge of
any children. It is amicably composed, and its details
have now but to be forgotten by those concerned in it.
"By some means, arising out of wickedness, or out of
folly, or out of inconceivable wild chance, or out of all
three, this trouble has been made the occasion of misre-
p.esentations, most grossly false, m)st monstrous, and
most cruel—involving not only me, but innocent per-
sons dear to my heart, and innocent persons ef whom I
have no knowledge, if, indeed, they have any existence
—and so widely spread, that I doubt if one reader in a
thousand will peruse these lines, by whom some touch
cf the breath of these slanders will not have passed, like
an unwholesome air.
" Those who know rue and my nature need no assurance