The Sun.
London, England, 1866-04-30 00:00:00

again be disconcerted in their plans, and will find
that discretion is the better part of valour, as they
did once before. At the same time Government have
acted very wisely in supporting the colonists
promptly and efficiently. We are glad to find that
three gunboats are about to be despatched from
Plymouth, and a convoy is to convey their heavy
ainns.

In the midst of all these preparations for defence
it is not quite certain what the intentions of the
Fenians are. They are mustering iu some force
along the New Brunswick frontier, and they hold
meetings and receive arms in several towns along it.
At Calais, Maine, they are also showing some
symptoms of activity, and they hate just held
a large meeting there, which was addressed
by DORAN KILLIAN. This gentleman appears quite
willing to undertake the settlement of any trouble-
some international question. He said that the
Brotherhood numbered one million of men, and
that they would continue to hold meet-
ings along the border until the compensa-
tion question was settled. If the people of
the provinces revolted against the scheme they would
assist them. This is a piece of somewhat gratuitous
kindness, seeing that the people of the provinces
have already shown that they are quite
capable of defeating the Confederation project, if so
disposed, by the ordinary constitutional methods.
But in fact the presence of the Fenians is likely to
have a directly contrary effect, and has already done
more to forward the scheme than any arguments
or remonstrances from England or the sister colo-
nies. There is very little doubt that it was the Irish
element of the Brunswick population which pre-
vented the passing of the Bill through the Legisla-
ture, and it is probable that the reason why the Fe-
nians have so persistently directed their movements
towards the Newbßrunswick frontier is that they
are conscious that they have a strong body of allies
and sympathisers on the other side. The recent
events will, however, have opened the eyes of those
who suffered themselves to be talked over or in-
fluenced by interested parties, and we may reason-
ably hope, with the advent of the new Ministry, to
see the way cleared for the fulfilment of this wise,
prudent, and constitutional scheme.

In the States themselves affairs continue tran-
quil. The PRESIDENT is daily gaining strength
among the people. He has shown his wisdom in
remaining quiet, trusting to time and reflection to
bring malcontents to reason. There appears to be
little doubt that the next election will give him a
very different Congress. The natural tendency of
the war was towards Republicanism, and almost
every election strengthened the extreme party. Now,
however, affairs are very different, and in spite of
the eagerness of the New England party to get rid of
the PRESIDENT by impeachment, the inevitable changes
in the popular representatives will be strongly in his
favour. Even the Reconstruction Committee ap-
pear to find matters have gone too far, and the
testimony which they have submitted to the house
respecting the condition of the South is, on the
whole, favourable.. Ex-Vice-President STEPHENS
has testified that ,the people of Georgia are very
anxious to resume their constitutional position in
the Union. This, in fact, must be the next step,
and we can hardly believe that the great body of
the people in the North will long consent to what
is in fact a virtual dismemberment of the Union
:which they prize so highly, and a surrender of the
great aim and object which they set before them
in the war.

Something Like a City Dining Hall.

On Saturday evening there was inaugurated
at No. 34, Milk-street, Cheapside, one of the
handsomest, yet at the same time, we believe,
one of the most reasonable places of public
entertainment anywhere to be found within the
boundaries of the city of London. The origi-
nator of the whole scheme, and head of the new
establishment—Mr. John Perretti known until very
recently, we understand, as a man of enterprise
down at Manchester—may be already congratulated
upon having started his project under th,e hap-
pest auspices. So far as one may judge from
appearances in a matter of this kind, it is an
undertaking that deserves to prove successful. Mr.
Perrett has manifestly spared no expense in setting
it on foot. Externally and internally, the building
itself is not merely attractive : it is at one and the
same time both elegant and comfortable—com-
fortable, that is to say in its arrangements and ele-
gant in its decorations. Constructed originally for
the purposes of a City warehouse, the edifice has
in the process of its transformation into a City
Restaurant into " The City :Restaurant," for
such it is to be its title henceforth—has certainly in
a very remarkable way afforded its archi-
tect, Mr. Robert W. Edis, an opportunity for
the display of both his artistic taste and his:pro-
fessional skill. Designed by him originally in
the Lombardo-Gothic style of architecture,
the building has been adapted, with admirable in-
genuity, under his direction, to all its present re-
quirements. Several thousand pounds sterling
must evidently have been expended in the carry-
ing out of tee requisite alterations, and in
the adornment and furnishing upon the
costliest scale of the entire structure. The
kitchen department, which is very properly
relegated to the top floor, is fitted up as a matter
of course with all the best and latest improve-
ments. Upon the second floor is the chop-room—
the room for the broiling, in the presence of the city
clerks frequenting it, the chops, steaks, kidneys, and
so forth, that will be be supplied to them hissing
hot direct from the gridiron ! That same noble
gridiron, by the way, being made not only of huge
dimensions, but the bars of it of solid silver and the
front of it of solid gold ! 'The principal floor of all,
namely, the first floor immediately below the chop-
room, is, as a matter of course, the handsomest room
in the whole building—being, in fact, as fine and
spacious a dining-room as City merchant could
wish to see—and to frequent ! The furniture or fit-
tings of this room are throughout of polished oak
inlaid with ebony, the stuffed backs and seats of
the chairs being covered with scarlet morocco,
emblazoned in gilding with the interwoven letters
"J. P."—the monogram of the proprietor. The
smoking-room and the apartment adjoining it upstairs
are furnished with chairs cushioned respectively with
green and maroon, instead of like those of the chief
dining ball with scarlet, morocco. Upon the ground
floor there is a luncheon bar especially noticeable as
about the largest in all London ! The gigantic
mirrors decorating it have been especially imported
from Belgium—the " Spirit Temple," as well as the
plate and plated goods generally, having been sup-
plied by the Messrs. Elkington. Altogether—
as may very readily be credited after what has been
here already remarked— the establishment has been
constructed and fitted up throughout upon a scale
entitling the proprietor of it to the favourable con-
sideration cf all city men who are on the look out
(as which among them all is not ?) for a thoroughly
good dinner, excellently well served, and at
a very reasonable outlay. The principal dinner
—a dinner of four courses, served as dinners are
served at club-houses rather than at restaurants--
being set down in Mr. Perrett's tariff at three-and-
sixpence. The establishment can hardly, by possi-
bility, fail to secure to itself a brilliant success, and
that immediately.

THE HELIO-SCENE.—This is the name given by
the Messrs. Lowther and Co., of liegent-street, to
their new sun-shade. It is applicable to all kinds of win-
dows. The great point of excellence is that it has the
effect of arresting the sun's rays before they have pene-
trated the glass, thereby keeping out the heat as well as
the glare. The helio-scene is a great improvement on the
old-fashioned sun-shade, both in form and appearance.
The old blinds were unsightly to a degree, whereas those
of Mr. Lowther are decidedly of an ornamental character
so much so that the Premier has had his mansion at Jiich-
ra9Lici fitted With them.