The Sun.
London, England, 1859-08-08 00:00:00

NATIONAL DEFENCES,

Sir F. SMITH asked the Secretary foe 'War whether the
Royal Commissioners to inquire into the defences of the
country had been appointed, and whether there was any
probability of their making a report before the prorogation
of Parliament; and, if not, whether, on the recommenda-
tion of the commissioners, her Majesty's Government would
feel at liberty to suspend any works which have been al-
ready authorised by Parliament, or to commence without
such authority, any other works which the commissioners
may represent to be of an urgent character.
Mr. S. HERBERT said that the commission had been
appointed, and would shortly present their report.
Mr. O'CONNELL asked the Secretary for War whether
he waq prepared to introduce a regulation to enable Roman
Catholic soldiers to attend mass on. the holidays of their
Church, when they could do so without interference with
their military duties ?
Mr. S. HERBERT said that, according to the regulations
of the service, Roman Catholic soldiers were permitted to
attend their own places of worship, when they could do so
without interfering with their duty.
BUSINESS_ OF THE HOUSE.

Lord PALMERSTCN moved that the orders of the day
should be postponed until the motion of the noble lord
(Elcho), in reference to Italy, should be disposed of ; and
suggested that, in order to facilitate business, the house
should meet to-morrow at one o'clock.
The motion was agreed to,
ITALY.

. Lord ELCHO moved that an humble address be pre-
sented to her Majesty, stating that in the opinion of this
house it would be consistent neither with the honour nor
dignity of this country, which throughout the late negotia-
tions had preserved a strict and impartial neutrality between
the contending Powers, and used its earnest endeavours to
prevent the outbreak of hostilities, to take part in any con-
ference for the purpose of settling the details of a peace the
preliminaries of which had been arranged between the
Emperor of the French and the Emperor of Austria. He
brought forward this motion in compliance with the wishes
of a number of persons who thought that the subject to which
it referred should receive more ample discussion, and he dis-
claimed any intention of being actuated by party feelings.
Ho said he believed there were parties who sympathised
with Italy in her struggles and aspirations, but who did not
consider that a despotic sovereign was the proper medaninn!
of conferring freedom on the people of that countg ;,.a_u_ others who were anxious to see the object of the
..-Itaicionns.
accomplished, no matter through whose agency. ne
act of the
sidered that the war was not precipitated by anueYconclusicn
Emperor of Austria, but that it was a foiireeg
on the part of France and Sardinia,
and
d a
course of pro-
for years past this latter power had pursued
articles which vocation and insult. He referred to theB , :ontended that
any
Lombards to revolt. He deprecated.
ap-
peared in the Piedmontese press in l
sm7ossttisnitrulonagtilnyg
armed interference by a foreign State in. the affairs of the ,

ness.

[LEFT SPEAKING.]

SPORTING NOTES.

PAST AND TO COME.

A severe attack of what may not inappropriately
be termed the " Goodwood Fever" prevented my
bestowing proper attention on the racing in Sussex.
Much as I wished to demonstrate the shrewdness
of the Yankees, and greatly as klkired to sketch
the fun and enjoyment of Brighton, I was unable
to gratify my inclination. I have, therefore, long
arrears of gossip and small talk to settle, and I will
pay them by instalments. Bookmakers are not likely
to let the racing at Goodwood fade soon from their
memory. However much they might wish to
forget it, the great hole which it made in their
bankers' account will take a long tinie to.Ml up,
and will serve to keep the memory of their losses
alive. The, Americans made their Ling-premedi-
tated coup, and certain holders of " paper," which
were being looked-upon, almost as worthless as
Pensylvanian Bonds, were cheered .by the prospect
of their increased value. The meeting was prin-
cipally remarkable for the extraordinary good
two-year-olds which it brought out; and, from the
admiration which they excited, we may expect a
Derby which will be productive of much specula-
tion. Such a fine furnished youngster as. Nut-
bourne I have not seen for several rears.
Brighton wz s, as . characterised by its
crowds, its Aunt. Sallys, and its thorough pleasant-
The racing was not important. The supply
was satisfactory, but the sport possessed only a
transient interest. Still, I cannot withhold my
meed of praise from the committee for the admirable
manner in which their arrangements were carried
out.

Sporting men have had little breathing time be-
ween the Saturday and. Monday, and ere these
cotes are placed before the reader the racing ball
will have been set a-rolling again in earnest. I trust
that the civil little clerk of the course at Lewes
will meet with that support which his exertions
to ensure a. pleasant and successful gathering
merit. He has an uphill battle to fight, for by
this time turfites must be weary of their sojourn on
the Sussex coast and listening to what the wild
waves are saying, especially, as a prosaic racing
man remarked, they will not give them the " tip"
for the St. Leger, or tell them what will win the
Cesalewitch and Cambridgeshire.
I can now only refer to the second half of the
Lewes programme,. and as I am writing some dis-
tance from London, I have only my judgment and
not the money market movements to guide me. I
am puzzled to select a winner for the Nursery
Stakes; that there is a " good thing" for it I am
convinced, but it is difficult to spot it. The
Concertina colt and Brine seem to me to be as trust-
worthy as anything. New Br*ton and Ferns-
combe shall be my champions fotht4e De Warrenne
Handicap.
Few meetings are more entitled to an extended
popularity than that which is annually celebrated
at Wolverhampton. The committee are zealous
and anxious in the cause of sport, tney cordially
cooperate to advance the prosperity of their under-
taking, and are not discouraged by the difficulties
whioh they annually encounter. Metropolitan
sportsmen have seldom an opportunity of
assisting at their gathering, which invariably
takes place when there is mettle equally attrac-
tive nearer their own homes. Still, by the
Midland division of tutfites the Wolverhampton
meeting is not likely to be neglected. The events
on which I am about to pronounce judgment will
be materially affected by the result of the first
day's races. Ancient Briton and Twilight are, in
my opinion, the most entitled to support for the
Holyoake Stakes.
If Oxford be not sent to Lewes, he and Predictor
will,
inlgftaonn
rforroedmuocest
Stakespl a cesChill fIo rs
htahlel
assign to Aston.
taokeecsu.pyTthi the
The 'Cup seems a " certainty" for Newcastle, for
whom, at Goodwood, Lord Stamford gave £1,500.
For the Nursery Stakes, The Earl of Essex and
Be Quick attract my notice. I shall " stand"
Vigo and Circassia for the Borough Members'
Plate.

Great preparations are being made at Reading
for the celebration of their meeting on Wednesday
and Thursday; and, if the reports which have
reached me be true, the officials will be much
" put about" to get through their list, and provide
accommodation for the multitude of people that
will re-assemble on their small and pretty course.
Broadstairs• A FRESH MAN.

—— -
THE ALPACAS IN AUSTRALIA.—The Sydney
Morning Herald contains an interesting resume of the pro-
ceedings connected with the removal and ultimate purchase
by New South Wales of Mr. Ledger's flock of alpacas. Mr.
Ledger had received for his services the slender reward of an
appointment as superintendent of alpacas—a somewhat
novel post. The satisfactory assurance is at the same time
given that the government have no idea of entering into
competition with other wool growers, but merely intend to
take charge of the flock until it shall be sufficiently nume-
rous to be really useful. We cannot help regarding the
history of this enterprise—involving as it does an immedi-
ate outlay of £15,000, a sum by no means inconsiderable to
a colony—as creditable tin the highest degree, to the libe-
rality and sagacity of the people and legislature.—Austra-
lian Mail.
ROGER, THE FRENCH TENOR.--Roger, the
celebrated tenor singer of the French opera, met with a
.
most serious accident a few days ago. He was shooting in
and having the park of his country residence, at Villers-sur-Me,
villlgVhn
he
with seizede the
gun occasionhe
climbo
over
the hedge,
e.rehedge,
edghis right hand.
In so doing it would seem that the trigger
e left his gun
e
gun by the extremity of the barrel
hedge, the gun went off, and the charge
summoned with
arm. Doctors Laborie and Hugul
ier were
ation they found the
bones to be so terribly shattered
glgeodrgeeaduinght Roger's int the
e
all possible speed, and on examination
indispensable. Rogeri m
with admirable fortitude. His:
d to be as satisfactory ass
medin:atsnely to render
eubmitteamdptuotattiohn,
the.
operation, and bore it
condition is reported
possible.
Roger had declined to perform in ther singular fatality,
for which he had been announced on fly
~evening " Huguenots,',
on The Gazette des Theatres mentions that, by a*
evening of the day which this accident occurred. Hi s
of Madame Borghi-Mauro. He devoted his dis: T's
holiday to the unfortunate reason for excusing himself was his wish to sustain ti
3.0
shooting party, which led tot „he
pchesararaecteeerof Fernando in the " Favorita," for the last a, p-
calamity above related. Roger displayed great cours ge.
After the accident he walked home, and summoned the
surgeons. On their arrival they declared it to be a ser::, ous
cage. "Do you mean that I shall die ?" inquired Rog .er.
"No; but—" " Must I lose my arm ?" "It must be
amputated." "Do it," was the prompt reply. When 1 he
operation was over he said, "I am now Roger the nyu, ti-
lated."--Bulletin.

Yesterday Morning the Rey. P. I. Aldrich, *
of Pembroke College, Cambridge, preached ant able
sermon at St. Matthew's Chapel, Spring-gfArdens,
of which he is the assistant minister, in aid of the
parochial schools of St. Martin-in-tite-fields.

Austrian nation, and considered that the French, might
with equal propriety have rendered the Irish the assistance
solicited by Mr. Smith O'Brien at the time of the last dis-
turbance in , Ireland, as sidel with• Sardinia in the
recent hostilities. With regard to. the subject of
his motion it did not appear to him that the
present -Government were disposed to maintain the
same strict neutrality adopted by their predecessors, but
would enter the conference in the spirit of advocates and
partisans. He maintained that non-intervention was the
proper policy to be pursued by this country ; by which he
did not mean that we were to roll ourselves up like a
hedgehog and exhibit no interest in whet was taking place
on the continent, but merely that we should -interfere only
when our own interests were concerned. .He referred them
to the speechdelivered by the late Sir Robert Peel, shortly
before his death, to show • the identity of the
feelings of that great statesman with his own
with regard to the policy of non-intervention. He
could not tee what advantage this country could derive
from taking part in the coming conference, considering the
complicated and conflicting interests that were involved.
If they entered into the conference they inevitably and
logically placel themselves in a situation of difficulty and
peril. Suppose they had confidence in the Emperor of the
French; then they might be satisfied that the interests of
Italy would be protected ; but, afortiori, if--they had not
that confidence then, though they might come out -.X the
conference as the friends of Italy, the French alliance
would bo enflengered, if not altogether destroyed.
(Hear, -hear.) Tlewould not sherifice everything, for the
maintenance of that alliance, but he considered that we
should abstain from any interference in this question.
If, however, the Government entered the conference with-
out any feelings of partisanship, he trusted . their efforts
would be attended-with beneficial results. The noble lord
concluded by an eloquent appeal 'to the house, in which he
reitera!ed his principal points. -
Mr. KINGLAKE, as an amendment to the motion of the
noble lord, moved the previous question. He thought ad-
vising the Government as the noble lord had done • by his
motion, would, if agreed to,, look very much like
expressing a want of confidence "in " her Majesty's
advisers, and no one could accede to it consistently who
was not prepared to vote such want of confidence if required
to express an opinion: He thought it would be most im-
politic, as well as most unjust, to come to any such
vote as the noble lOrd wished them virtually to
do; and, as matters stood, events might very
shortly occur which would • have the effect of entirely
altering that noble lord's sentiments. Besides, English
statesmen had not distinguished themselves in congress, and
in support of his position referred to the congresses of Venice
and Verona in which the reputation of some of most
distinguished statesmen of this country was wrecked. He
considered that the hour had arrived when France and
Austria should no longer proceed uponihe principle of
pot titioning by p o'ocols, and without reference to the feel-
ings
of those States.