The Sun.
London, England, 1866-12-22 00:00:00

voyages are mostly foreigners, while those he calls "fresh-
water 'longshoremen" are natives of this country. No
real sailor ever underrates the men of the coasting traffic
in this country or the British Islands ; but this person
thinks that the further you get from land the greater the
peril. He believes that the jeopardy is to be estimated by
the depth of the water; and so it is, only the danger is
greater in the shallow seas on the coasts, and not in the
real blue water of the open sea.
By a supplementary article entered into after we published
the conditions of the race, it has been agreed that neither
vessel shall take a Channel pilot from New York. And
by another it is stipulated that the end of the race shall be
when the Needles Light is on the larboard beam of the
yachts standing up Channel. But as they may not be able
to stand up Channel so as to bring the light abeam, this
article ought to say, "When the Needles Light bears due
north the course shall be ended." As nono of the yachts
will have a Channel pilot, ono is as well off as another.
There might be a contingency in which a pilot's services
would be valuable. We take it that the captains who aro to
navigate the yachts have mostly run to Liverpool, and now,
instead of turning north up Saint George's Channel, the
course is to lay east by the Scilly Islands, and on past the
Lizard and Start Points. Three hundred. miles west of
the Land's End the schooners will be on deep-sea sound-
ings, and if a Channel-pilot was aboard, and got the depth
of the soundings, and the nature of the bottom brought
up, he would know how to steer, in thick weather, about
as well as if he had already seen Saint Agnes Light, or
that at the Lizard. We here suggest that when a pilot is
picked up in the Channel, the pilot-boat be forthwith sent
into Falmouth with a telegram for New York. The in-
terest and curiosity here will be very great, and a large
amount of money will be pending. A day, or perhaps
two, may be saved by letting us hear from Falmouth, in-
stead of waiting till Southampton is reached. In con-
clusion, we once more wish a swift and pleasant passage
to all hands.

RACE BETWEEN R. A. W. GREEN AND W.
HICKEY, FOR .£lOO A-SIDE.
We have already given briefly the result of this affair,
and now have further particular; which we extract from
Bell's Life in Sydney :
This match, about which considerable interest was
evinced in aquatic circles, came off, as arranged, on the
Parramatta River, last Saturday afternoon. The stakes
were £lOO a-side, and the distance one mile. These men
have met on several occasions before, and Hickey has
proved the winner on five of them. This time the distance
was shortened, and the pullers changed boats. Six or
seven steamers wore employed to convey the spectators to
the scene of the contest, and all were crammed. They all
left the Circular Wharf about three o'clock p.m., and
steamed right away to their destination,which they reached
in safety, though some of them rolled rather uncomfortably.
Quite a fleet of yachts and pulling boats were present, all
occupied by eager spectators of the proceedings. The
weather was cloudy, and a still breeze from the S.E. blow-
ing, which kept the water somewhat lumpy. The betting
was in Green's favour—odds from 4 to 3 to 2 to 1 being
freely offered, and cautiously taken. About half-past four
Hickey got into his boat, pulled round the Illalong, which
contained his friend; and was loudly cheered ; he seemed
confident in manner, bat far too fleshy, we thought, to
perform such a task as that before him. Green took to his
boat shortly after, took a turn round the little Fairy, and
was well applauded. He seemed everything that could be
desired as to form, and cool in manner.
The men now got together, and started themselves,
Hickey (to the surprise of all who remembered Green's
quickness in getting away) taking the water first, and get-
ting the lead. Green at once dashed after him, and before
they got 200 yards on their short journey, was leading by
about a boat's-length, pulling 37 strokes a minute. When
800 yards had been pulled, Hickey appeared to be making
his effort and got alongside of Green, but the latter put on
a little spurt, and regained his lead, which he kept to the
finish. Time; 7 min. 21 sec., there being a head wind and
an ebb tide. Green left his skiff for his trainer's gig, and
was loudly cheered. Hickey soon got on board the Illa-
long, where he met anything but a gratifying reception
from his friends, many of whom had backed him heavily,
and who, like most people who lose their money, did not
feel at all satisfied, indeed many loudly asserted that they
had been sold. The steamers and the immense fleet of
smaller craft at once made for Sydney, which was reached
safely by every one. The stakes were paid over at Mr.
O'Brien's, Tattersall's Hotel, in the evening, by Mr. George
Thornton, who had acted as umpire. In paying over the
money, referring to the statements made that the race had
been sold by Hickey, Mr. Thornton took occasion to assert
his opinion that the race was a fair and honest one, both
men having done their best. Cheers were called, given
for both the men, and suitably acknowledged. Mr. Thornton
threw out a suggestion as to sending Hickey to England
as our champion, but nothing definite was done. With
regard to this race, our opinion is that it was quite " square."
The distance suited Green to a T, and he was in splendid
form—never better—which his constant practice has largely
contributed to. On the other hand, the distance did not
allow of the development of Hickey's strength and endur-
ance ; and it was evident he was not at all in condition,
which he attributes to the short time he had to prepare
himself, and his changed blotto of life, he being in busi-
ness, and not nearly so actively employed as he used to
be. At three miles we feel confident he could beat Green
and there are many who agree with us.

The Italian Parliament

FLORENCE, Dec. 21.

To-day, in the Chamber of Deputies, Signor
Ferraris was elected fourth Vice-President, and the
Committee of Presidency is now complete.

Signor Mari, on assuming the office of President,
delivered a speech in which he dwelt upon the loss
sustained by the House through the death of seve-
ral members sinco the last Session.

Baron Ricasoli brought forward a Bill proposing
that persons holding certain offices should not be
eligible for seats in Parliament. He also introduced
a bill for the construction of roads in Sicily. The
Minister of Foreign Affairs presented to the Cham-
ber the Treaty of Peace concluded with Austria,
the convention with France relative to the payment
of the Pontifical debt, and various diplomatic docu-
ments. Signor Scialoja, Minister of Finance, in-
troduced bills relating severally to the administra-
tion of the Treasury, the accountability of the State,

the provisional exercise of the Budget of 1867 for
the period of three months, and the extension to the
year 1867 of the financial measures voted in 1866.
Signor Scialoja announced his readiness to give the
Chamber an account of the state of the finances,
but expressed his belief that it would be better to
defer doing so until the Ist of January.
The Green Book laid before the House contains
documents relating to commercial and political nego-
tiations with the States of the Zollverein ; to special
negotiations with England ; to an international
monetary convention ; to various international ar-
rangements having for object the prevention of
cholera ; to affairs in the Danubian Principalities,
Candia, Servia, and Montenegro ; to complaints ad-
dressed by the Italian Government to the Republic
of Venezuela ; to affairs in La Plata, Peru, and
Chili ; and to the Treaty of Commerce with Japan.
The Green Book also contains 110 documents re-
lating to the union of Japan with the Italian
kingdom.

CRUELTY IN RAILWAY TRANSIT.-At the Petty
Sessions, Edmonton, yesterday, William and Charles
Lowe, horse slaughterers, Cambridge, appeared to answer
a charge preferred by the Royal Society for the Prevention
of Cruelty to Animals, for causing to be conveyed from
Cambridge to London two horses in such manner as to
cause them unnecessary pain and suffering. The secretary
to the society stated the facts. On the 3d inst. the defen-
dants hired a cattle-truck at Cambridge, into which they
put two old, decrepid, living animals, and two dead horses,
and consigned them to Atcheler's, knacker, London. Upon
arrival at Tottenham, the animals were seen struggling
on the floor of the truck, the shaking and motion of the
train having caused them to fall ; and while in this posi-
tion they injured themselves and each other by plunging
and kicking. It was contended that the cattle-truck was
an improper vehicle for the conveyance of animals ema-
ciated, and put together without dividing partitions, and
that unnecessary pain and suffering must follow such a
course. The defendants pleaded guilty, and promised not
to repeat the offence, and in future to kill their old and
discarded horses at Cambridge before sending them to
London. The magistrates said this practice was not only
a very cruel one to the horses, but fraught with danger to
the other animals, which might become infected with
glanders and other contagious diseases. It must be
stopped ; but this being the first offence against defen-
dants, they would only fine them £3, including costs.
HER MAJESTY'S STAG HOUNDS.—This pack met
on Friday at Warfield, and a stag was uncarted
whose name was "Accident," in consequence of his suffer-
ing an accident the first and only time he had ever been
before the hounds, from which ho subsequently recovered.
This being the second time he was brought to the field, he
showed himself a very gallant animal, as he gave the field
a very fast run of one hour and a quarter —hea.dini'first to-
wards Shottesbrook. He afterwards changed his course,
and bore away towards Winkfield, through Winkfield-
park, on to New Lodge—passing the front of the Belgian
Minister's residence, where the owner of the noble man-
sion, with Madame de Weyer, witnessed the exhilarating
sport from their door. He then made towards Clewer-hill
and on to the Long-walk, Windsor, after passing through
the gardens of several of the gentlemen living near Queen's
villas. At the top of the Long-walk he attempted to leap
the railings, but his unfortunate luck stuck to him, because
he had a second accident that will most probably termi-
nate his existence. He was deservedly regretted by all
the ficldaits Ohs of the " plucky sort."