The Sun.
London, England, 1859-12-05 00:00:00

will be at once:enrolled. At a meeting of the provi-
sional committee held on Friday evening, the high
constable in the chair, it was announced that the
names of a sufficient number of volunteers had been
received to form one company. It was also decided
to invite Major G. M. Best, the Lord of the Manor
of Chatham, to take the command of the corps. A
number of volunteers attended for the first time on
Friday evening, and commenced their drill at the
York Tavern, the large room of which has been
placed at the disposal of the corps by Mr. Breeze,
the proprietor.

FIELD
K .
A. volunteer rifle CUC
corps has been formed here,
and, although only a few weeks have elapsed since
the question was first mooted in this part of Sussex,
the corps already numbers 80 members, and new
names are being daily added to the roll. Meetings
in favour of the movement are taking place through-
out the whole district, and a second company will
doubtless be speedily raised. Captain Meek, late
Royal Sussex Light Infantry, has been appointed
to command the corps, and the remaining officers
will shortly be nominated. The funds of the corps
are in a satisfactory state, between £3OO and £4OO
having been already subscribed.

IVVONS 111 RE.
Earl Fortescue, the Lord-Lieutenant of the county,
has written to Mr. Thos. Dyke Acland, expressing
general approbation of his plan for the formation
of yeomanry rifle corps, and his belief that it will
form a valuable adjunct to the various measures now
happily in operation throughout the kingdom for
the consolidation of our voluntary national defence.
The noble Earl trusts that those measures will not
be relaxed in consequence of assurances which might
be received from any foreign quarter, however
friendly, until the spirit of the people at home,
calmly and judiciously directed, should have made
the security of our country independent of any feel-
ing that might be entertained towards us abroad.

DROITWICH.
At a meetin., convened by circular by the mayor
of this borough £lOO in subscriptions was handed in,
and a committee was appointed to ascertain certain
particulars before the calling of a public meeting.

FALMOUTH.
Although the corps in this town has only been
formed six weeks upwards of 100 men have joined.

GLASTONBURY.
On Thursday evening last a numerous and influ-
ential meeting of the inhabitants of this borough
was held in the Town-hall to organise a volunteer
rifle corps in this locality. About 30 of the young
men present came forward to have their names
enrolled, and it was announced that £llO had been
already collected. It is expected that a company
of 60 or 70 men will be organised.

HALIFAX.
The corps at this place is rapidly increasing. An
influential meeting of the gentlemen at Brighouse, a
thriving manufacturing district, about four miles
from Halifax, has just been held, and it has been
decided to establish a corps in connection with the
Halifax Volunteer Rifles, being underethe same
captains, &c. At the meeting about £lOO was sub-
scribed towards the cost of equipment.

MR. DRUMMOND, 211. P., ON RIFLE
CORPS.

At a meeting at Guildford, for the purpose of
forming a rifle corps, Mr. DRUMMOND, after a few
preliminary observations, said—l do not think
)t fair to say about any place where there is an
unwillingness to come forward, that it arises
from any cause but one--by the blessing of
God the people know. nothing about wars. You
have never seen war, or, in your wildest thoughts,
realised any of its horrors. (Hear, hear.) Ask the
military man what lie has tosay about it. You know
how the Duke of Wellington spoke on this point.
He declared that the most horrid thing that could
be witnessed in the world was a field of battle when
the battle had been lost; and the next most horrid
thing was the same scene where the battle had been
won. Now, Ido not think that anybody in this
country doubts that we are in very great peril.
Since I had the pleasure of meeting you here six
months ago, I have been abroad, and I have taken
the trouble to buy up and read a great many pam-
phlets published by the French ; and you must re-
member that not a single word is printed without
the Emperor's express sanction. These pamphlets
make no bones about the matter. They declare
that you are the curse of the earth and must be ex-
punged. (Laughter,) Nothing
_ will satisfy them
but bringing you to shame. They say the reason
of all this is Waterloo—not because they were
licked in a pitched battle, but because foreign
armies marched into France and, they declare,
pillaged the inhabitants. Now this pillaging sim-
ply means that those poor people took back from
the French what had been pillaged from themselves.
This is an insult they will not stand. (Laughter.)
Again, they talk about the Prussian troops insult-
ing men and women in Paris. Now I remember ,
perfectly well that the guards who were on guard
in one of the fauburgs did certainly see the
Prussian soldiers insult many women and -kick a
large number of men. (Laughter.) They took the
Prussians up, and asked them how they dared to
de such things, and they said they vowed they
would do to*the French what, in Berlin, they had
seen them do. Now, how arc you to meet this ?
Our population is not equal to that of France.
The Emperor has 560,000 bayonets, whilst we have
only 150,000, and 90,000 of then arc in India.
The militia is not half full. I know one regiment
in which a relative of mine is an officer, which is
800 strong nominally, but it has only 200 capable
of being brought into the field. Ido not think the
militia is well organised. I consider that all mon
capable of doing so ought to be made to bear arms,
without any exemption whatever; and my reason
is this, that at present the army is raised almost
entirely from the lower classes, but I want a body
for the national defence to be composed of the
middle and upper classes. (Hear, hear.) However,
we are not Cabinet Ministers, and cannot have
that ; but I can encourage you to arm yourselves
somehow. I do not believe that the rifle move-
ment is the best way of doing so, but I do not wish
to quarrel with you about that. There are many
means of defending the country. You cannot have
artillery, because you are not on the sea-coast.
Cavalry you cannot well have in towns, because of
the want of accommodation for horses, but in coun-
try places you might have them. But in towns
you can only have infantry, and they can be rifle-
men, if you like. Remember, however, that the
rifle is very different from a common gun. It is a
clumsy customer to manage, and unless you take
great care, and attend to your drill, you will
never become efficient riflemen as long as you
live. I have a friend in the Highlands of Scot-
land, who is a famous deer-stalker and a
good shot. He has formed a corps of rifle-
men, and come down to Hythe to learn rifle prac:
tier; and he has never been able to get out of the
second class. There are a largo number of men
who, from physical constitution, connot be riflemen.
I cannot, from age; and there are 'a great many
gentlemen who cannot, because they have made
more flesh on their bones than I have. (Laughter.)
To be a rifleman, you must be young and active.
However, begin ; and we shall see how you get on.
I remember that, when there was an invasion threa-
tened from Boulogne, and Mr. Pitt led the move-
ment, 370,000 -volunteers were raised. (Cheers.)
How many you have in this movement I do not
know; but, six months ago, there were only 30,000,
which is a very small allowance. The French Em-

peror is at present causing 20 flat-bottomed boats
to be constructed, which will draw 13 feet of water
and carry 2,000 men each, and can thus bring 40,000
men. Now, there is not a single river in Europe in
which they can be moved, except the Thames. 1
do hope that some of my friends will make you
realise what the enormous destruction of property
Would be if a landing were effected anywhere in
this country, although the enemy could not get the
plunder which they think is to be obtained. Well,
I say, go on. Ido not consider that the riflemen
form the very best means of defence, but it will be

very easy afterwards to form another body as auxi-
lianos to them ; and, at all events, I shall be happy
to help you in any way I can. (Applause.) I
move, " That in the present unsettled state of Eu-
rope, it is of vital importance that the armaments
of the United Kingdom should be increased and
strengthened, with the special view of repelling any
attempt at invasion. (Cheers.)
The resolution was seconded by General TWEN-
LOW, who believed that the rifle movement, which
had been aptly designated the peace league, if car-
ried out generally, would be effective in preventing
invasion. (Cheers.)

PLYMOUTH BREAKWATER.--It has been deter-
mined by Government to erect an extensive fort on the
centre of the breakwater at Plymouth, sufficient with the
land batteries on either shore to effectually protect the en-
trance to the Sound. The work is to be commenced with
all possible speed.

PRICE 4D. STAMPED, SD.

DEATJI OF 271 E PRINCESS ANNA

SAPIEHA,

The family of Prince Czartoryski, the Polish emi-
gration, and, indeed, the whole of Poland, has suf-
fered a painful loss by the death of the Pincess
Anna. Sapieha, mother-in-law of Prince Adam
Czartoryski. This noble lady breathed her last in
Paris on the 26th of November last, in the 86th year
of her age. Enfeebled by age and illness, she par-
took the Holy Communion, and awaited with calm
resignation the approach of death, seeming only to
linger in this world a little longer that she might
press once more the hand of her illustrious son-in-
law, to whom she had during half a century looked
up with a kind of religious reverence. Prince
Czartoryski had been absent from .Paris for some
considerable time, but returned on the 25th, and on
the ensuing day, at 4 o'clock in the morning, the
Princess slept away without a sign of suffering.
The deceased, who belonged to the most illustrious
families of Poland, was born in 1772. Her father,
Count Andrew Zamoyiski, Grand Chancellor of the
Crown of Poland, enjoyed the reputation of being
the most noble and upright character of the reign
of Stanislas Augustus. After the violent seizure
of the persons of the senators of Poland by the Rus-
sian troops in 1767, he resigned the seals and with-
drew into private life, whence he was, however, sub-
sequently again called forth by the voice of hii
country, which intrusted to him the digest of a code
of laws. The wife of the Chancellor, the mother of
the deceased Princess Sapieha, was a daughter of
Prince Joseph Czartoryski, of the Korzec branch.
The great economy practised by this lady in all the
ddtails of her private life formed a striking contest to
the luxury then universally prevalent in Warsaw ;
but when Koseiuszko raised aloft the standard of
insurrection, this parsimonious but also truly
patriotic woman opened her rich treasury, and
silently poured its contents into the national exche-
quer, the people being then in arms against their
oppressors. Sueh were the family traditions amid
which Princess Anna Sapieha's character was
formed. She inherited from her father true patriot-
ism and the virile virtue of the citizen, and from her
mother the love of order and the art of making a
noble use of her fortune.
In 1794 the Princess married, at Zamose, Prince
Alexander Sapieha, who was born at Strasburg,
where, driven by the misfortunes of Poland, his
father had sought refuge. In consequence of the
hope of the assistance of France having been held
out to his country, Prince Sapieha entered the ser-
vice of Napoleon 1., but his life was terminated
prematurely in 1812. Two children—the Princess
Anna, afterwards married to Prince Adam Czar-
toryski, and Prince Leon Sapieha—were the issue
of this marriage. At the death of her husband :he
Princess, though still comparatively young, and ac-
customed to live in the great, world of Paris and
Warsaw, did not for a moment hesitate between the
serious and sacred duties of a motherand the frivo-
lous pleasures of the world, but devoted herself ex-
clusively to the education of her children and to the
administration of her fortune, which had suffered
considerably in consequence of the disasters which
had befallen her country. The duties to which she
devoted herself with unflagging constancy fortified
her soul and endowed her with rare sagacity in
the management of affairs, without in any way
quenching that enthusiasm of the heart which ena-
bled her, when circumstances required it, to rise
above the minute calculations of prudence. Dur-
ing the campaign in Prussia she was seen in Paris
kneeling at the feet of Kosciusko, imploring him
to join the army of Napoleon I.
After the disasters of Poland in 1831 Princess
Sapieha remained in the country, and by her efforts
succeeded in savino, some remnants of the colossal
fortune of Prince Czartoryski ; and having joined
his family in 1836, she brought with her an
accession to their pecuniary means, but never
ceased to preach order and economy, without, how-
ever, closing her heart against the wants of her
countrymen or of her country. In Paris she be-
came, indeed, as it were, the cashier of all the
charitable and useful institutions connected with
the Polish emigration, and whenever a public or a
private want was felt Princess Sapieha was sure to
be applied to. Despising luxury and pomp, loving
all that was good and beautiful, always at work,
always surrounded by accounts, by lists, and by peti-
tions, she knew how to refuse, and she delighted in
granting, favours ; and she continues even beyond
the tomb her public benefactions, having bequeathed
a large stim to her children to be employed solely
for public purposes. The serious and extensive
studies to which she devoted herself during the
whole of her life had greatly enriched her mind,
and she conversed on all the subjects with ease and
fluency, and surprised her auditors by the solidity
of judgment which in her was combined with groat
vivacity and imagination.
Such was the noble woman whom Poland has
just lost. May the ladies of Poland, and more espe-
cially those belonging to her own class, learn to
despise what she deopised, and to love what she
loved ! C. S.

.EMIGRATION FROM LIVERPOOL.

The official returns of emigration from the Mersey
Ler the month just concluded have been completed
by the Government authorities, and when compared
with those of the preceding month of October ex-
hibit a decline of nearly one-half, as well as a con-
siderable falling off when compared with those for
the corresponding period of 1858. This decline is
chiefly observable in the emigration to the United
States, that to Australian ports being pretty much
as last month. The principal falling off appears to
have taken place in Irish passengers, although both
English, Scotch, and foreigners participate in the
general decline. During the month 10 vessels sailed
for the United States under the act, carrying 67
cabin and 1,482 steerage passengers, of whom 388
were English, 39 Scotch, 991 Irish, and 64 were
foreigners, against, in October, 17 ships, conveying
133 cabin and 3,670 steerage passengers, 907 of
whom were English, 89 Scotch, 2,526 Irish, and 148
foreigners, being a falling off of 2,254. In the cor-
responding month of last year the number of cabin
passengers was 80, and the steerage 1,825, com-
prising 575 English, 85 Scotch, 1,078 Irish, and 87
foreigners. The above is not inclusive of " short
ships" not coming under the provisions of the Pas-
sengers Act of 1855, of which six sailed during the
month with 132 steerage passengers. Nor does it em-
brace the passengers carried out by the Cunard or
Canadian steamships to Portland, which conveyed
567 cabin passengers to the United States. To the
Australian colonies the falling off is in by no means
the same proportion as to the United States, the total
decline being about 100 when compared with the
month of October, but a decrease of about 500 when
compared with the corresponding month of 1858.
During the past month five vessels were despatch6d
to Melbourne, Victoria, with 30 cabin and 993
steerage passengers-427 English, 189 Scotch, 344
Irish, and 33 foreigners, against in the previous
month 50 cabin and 868 steerage passengers-390
English, 83 Scotch, 347 Irish, and 48 foreigners.
In the corresponding period of 1858, 65 cabin and
1,604 steerage passengers sailed for Melbourne. In
"short ships" 35 persons took their departure dur-
ing the month. To New South Wales one ship
was despatched with 432 Government emigrants-
-219 English, 53 Scotch, and 160 Irish, against
October 445 steerage Government emigrants-171
English, 60 Scotch, and 214 Irish. To New Zealand
the usual monthly liner sailed with 15 cabin and
227 steerage passengers-141 English, 28 Scotch,
and 18 Irish, being an increase of above 100 over
last month, when 2 cabin and 136 steerage passes-
gers sailed-91 English, 29 Scotch, 15 Irish, and 1
foreigner. To South America one "short ship"
sailed with 4 passengers against 21 in Nov., 1858,
and to thp West Coast of Africa the mail steamer
conveyed 30 cabin passengers under the Act ; the
total emigration to all parts was 112 cabin, and
3,134 steerage, against 185 cabin, and 6,369 steerage
in October, and against 146 cabin and 3,848 steerage
in the corresponding period of 1858. Including
" short ships" the aggregate number of passengers
sailing from the Mersey amounted to 4,194 souls,
agaipt 7,149 in October, being a falling off of nearly
3,000. It should be added, however, that last month
there was no emigration to either the Cape of Good
Hope or the East Indies ; while in October 222 free
emigrants were sent to the former colony, and 1,028
soldiers' wives were sent to the East Indies ; both
of whom were included in the October return. If
we deduct, then, these numbers from the November
returns it will reduce the decline to about 1,700

TIIE PONTEFRACT ELECTION INQUIRT.—During
the last few days evidence has been taken at the Town .hall,
Pontefract, relative to the well-known dispute between Mr.
0 verend, Q.C., one of the sitting members for that borough,
and Mr. Childers, the defeated candidate at the last elec-
tion. The witnesses have been examined by Mr. Caries, of
Leeds, as the solicitor for Mr. Overend, and by Mr. Lee-
man,: of York, as the solictor for Mr. Childers. The evi-
dence has since been laid before Sir- J. Coleridge, who, it
had been agreed, should act as arbitrator between the par-
ties, and he will no doubt give his decision in due course.
The inquiry was conducted in private, and the rumours
which have appeared in some journals as to the ultimate j
result of it aro mere speculAticwi

The Peninsular and Oriental Company's steam-
ship Euxine, Captain Woodyates, bringing these
mails, in charge of Lieut. Gardner, RN., Admiralty
agent, arrived at Southampton on Saturday morn-
ing. She left Lisbon at 9 5 a.m. on the 27th ult.,
Oporto at 9 6 a.m. on the 28th, and Vigo at
10 50 a.m. on the 29th. Outwards the Euxine
encountered heavy south-westerly winds with
much head sea as far as Vigo, and thence to Lisbon
fine weather; homewards fine to Vigo, and thence
a south-westerly gale and westerly 'winds.
The Euxine has brought £1,505 in specie, pre-
cious stones value' £5O, and a cargo comprising
2,289 chests and 28 boxes of oranges, 265 boxes of
grapes, 200 bags of nuts, and 77 packages of general
merchandise.
Both out and home the Euxine was put in quaran-
tine atVigo, in consequence of the steamship La Plata,
arrived at Southampton, having had cases of yellow
fever on board.
Her Majesty's despatch boat Beagle sailed from
Lisbon for China. NOv. 26.
News from Lisbon by this packet. which is to the
27th ult., refers principally to the dissolution of the
late Chamber of Deputies, already reported by tele-
graph. Our correspondent writes :
",The Ministers being fully aware they had little
chance of getting through the session without being
placed in a minority upon more than one question,
though they had come to an understanding that
railways should no longer be the field for party po-
litics, availed themselves of the first opportunity of
settling the question of dissolution of the Deputies
or the Cabinet. - Under the circumstances this ap-
pears to have been the most advisable course for
the interests of the country. A new electoral law
had fast passed the House of Peers establishing
small electoral circles for one member, instead of
(
the largo circles which returned 2,3, or 4 deputies
to the house now dissolved ; and this new law, being
a tacit confession that a new election was necessary,
it was further confirmed by the fact 'that neither
the present Cabinet or its predecessors, 3vho were in
power when it was elected, could command a good
working majority. Hence it would have been a
greatlater
period.waste
oppositioneto i•e s reserve ea
st
madehe
t o dissolution
fiie i.efpolri eas
to the King's speech by deputies or peers, but upon
the discussion of Salamanca's railway contract in
committee a question was raised by the Opposition
respecting the new revenue resources necessary to
meet the subvention. The Ministers desired to delay
all explanations until the budget should be brought
forward, as had been the case last session ; and, re-
presentingthe Opposition as factious, they succeeded
in obtaining the King's decree of dissolution, after
a protracted discussion by the Council of State.
The new law will probably diminisli Government
influence in many electoral circles', and it is not yet
possible to give a safe opinion as to the new house
summoned to meet on 26th January ; though I
think it is likely to be better than the last, and may
give a good working majority, which is absolutely
necessary, unless Parliamentary legislation is to be-
come a perfect nullity in this country."
Lisbon exchanges for this packet are quoted as
follows :—For three months on London, 53! ; Paris,
535 ; Amsterdam, 42 ; Hamburg, 471 ; Genoa, 530;
Bank of Portugal Shares, 10 to 101 per cent. prem.;
Oporto Bank Shares, 261 to 271 per cent. prem.

THE GREAT EASTEIe.N.

During the past week some very exaggerated
rumours have been in circulation respecting the
great ship, which have produced something like a
panic among the holders of the shares in the com-
pany. In order to afford complete information re-
specting the actual condition of the ship, and the
financial position of the company, anltextraordinary
meeting of the shareholders will be called by the
directors on the loth inst. In the meantime those
who are interested in the undertaking will be gra-
tified to hear that, in the opinion of the board, no
sufficient cause exists for the late extraordinary
depreciation which has taken place in the value of
the property. Our readers will remember that
some weeks since we stated that three gentlemen
of high standing in their profession, _viz., Messrs.
Ilawkshaw, Fowler, and Maclean were employed
in taking evidence and making the necessary ex-
amination, with the vie* of making an award
upon all questions in dispute between the company
and the contractors. The total amount at issue
between these parties is comparatively small,
and whatever deficiencies may be proved to
exist on the part of the work performed by
the contractors, will have to be made good by
those who had undertaken the contract, and will
not, so far as these deticienciei are concerned, involve
any great outlay or expense on the part of the com-
pany. The three gentlemen above named made
their report after the examination of the ship while
lying at Holyhead, and when the directors had de-
cided upon sailing the vessel immediately for Ame-
rica. They stated that in the then condition of the
ship it would not be safe to undertake a transat-
lantic voyage, and that the directors would be
guilty of manslaughter if any accident should occur
on the voyage. In deference to this opinion, the
board rescinded the resolution previously taken and
the ship was sent round to Southampton, encoun-
tering, before she arrived there, the terrible gale at
Holyhead and the rough passage on the way to the
port where she now lies. This voyage was performed
at greater speed and with more success than upon
any of the previous trips, and her performance is
relied upon as showing that the ship in reality is
not in so completely an unseaworthy state as has
been supposed. In a more recent number a state-
ment was given of the alterations which Would be
required in order to adapt the ship more completely
for the work for which she was constructed. No
alterations of importance beyond those then speci-
fied have been required, either by the Board of
Trade or by the surveyors appointed by the com-
pany, but to carry out these, some additional funds
will be needed beyond the present capital, and
which will be raised either by preference shares, or
upon mortgage, to be explained at the meeting cf
the 15th. It is stated that an offer has been made
by Mr. Lever for the purchase of the ship, of the
most liberal character. Th 6 terms are said to be
-£60,000 down to form a working capital to com-
plete the ship, to charter herfor 12 months, pay the
shareholders five per cent, in advance, and to have
the option of purchasing the ship for £330,000,
being the amount of the capital of the present
company. If this offer is a bona fide one, it is dif-
ficult to understand how the ship can be in so
wretched a condition as to warrant the present de-
preciation in the shares. The chairman of the
board has stated that he will, at the meeting
of the 15th, demand the appointment of a com-
mittee of shareholders for the purpose of institut-
ing a thorough investigation into the affairs of the
company from its formation, and to throw some
light on the circumstances which have tended so
greatly to depress the property.—Observer.

TIIE GREAT BELL OF WESTMINSTER.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE DAILY NEWS.

Sir,—Having this day heard Big Ben for the first
time since it was reported that be had been mortally
wounded, I beg to state that—cracked or not
cracked—his voice is neither worse nor bettor than

it was on and after the first day the clock struck
himl
merelyto indicates
tthhee
same h o ours si.m
frother
uwnodr dass,
continuity of tone. Now, although I think this
btulepifeoonbree,lbeing remarkable for metallitharshness and
bell was designed and cast too thick at the sound
bow—hence the monster hammer requited—even to
produce a rich and mellow tone, even assuming
no deep crack to exist, yet as the bell is suspended
in a manner so objectionable that it has not fair
play, the anthorities may be advised to try the fol-
lowing experiment :—Release the bell from its pre-
sent unhappy position, of which it has never ceased
to complain ' • then fix it ton block of wood called a
stock, which must be freely suspended from a beam
so as to be able to swing in some degree. If the
alleged fracture be not dangerous Big Ben the
Second will then give out such a sound as may
agreeably surprise his audience.
Permit me to add that when a large bell is
cracked deeply at the sound bow it is idle to talk of
applying the " drill a hole and whip-saw remedy."
This has been tried over and over again in the case
of church bells, though not at present in that of
Big Ben, and the result has uniformly been most
unsatisfactory to a musical ear.—l am, &c.,
December 3. THOMAS WALESBY.

SUDDEN DEATH FROM INTEMPERANCE.—On
"Wednesday evening, a woman, the wife of a cattle drover,
who had been in attendance at the cattle fair in Newcastle,
was found lying dead in a passage at the Head of the Side.
From information which has been given to the police, it ap-
pears that the deceased had been drinking for the last three
months, having been scarcely sober during the whole of
that time. On Wednesday afternoon she was in a public-
house at the Head of the Side, very intoxicated, dancing to
the music 0 a violin. A short time afterwards she went
out, and was never more seen alive. We understand she
is a native of Carlisle.—Newcasile Ch,onide.

ATTORNEYS AND BRIEFS.—A singular scene
occurred at, the West Riding intermediate Ses !on, held ut
Bradford on Thursday. The friends of a man named John
Burke, who was charged with biting off, the ear of James
Gelday, applied to Mr. Thomas Beaumont, accountant, to
draw out a-brief for Burk's defence atithe sessions. Beau-
mont did so, at the same time receiving, as it is stated, £3
for his trouble. At the trial he handed the brief over to a
barrister, with the customary fee of a guinea, but during the
examination it transpired that Beaumont was not an attor-
ney, and the chairman of the _sessions instantly ordered him
to be taken into custody. He will in all probability be tried
at the nrasent apqQim, fur _