The Sun.
London, England, 1859-12-23 00:00:00

THE SJJN,4 ' LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 23, 1859,

commercial gentlemen for gravy, struck, in the
grotesque exordium of this comic speech, the key-
note of all the after laughter: Grievously disturbed
at heart by his many ineffectual attempts to obtain
the materials for a speech, Mr. DICKENS
with an aspect of becoming gravity, recounted yes-
terday how—" He looked through the advertising
pages of Bradshaw—(loud laughter)—and asked
himself whether anything could be done with those
inviting advertisements of hotels, in which was
offered at fixed charges bed, breakfast, and attend •
ance, with the additional advantages of a perfect
solitude and an Italian atmosphere. (Laughter.)
He asked himself despondingly the question whether
anything apropos could be got out of the unfortu-
nate porter who sat up all night, and who never
went to bed in the day time ?" (Great laughter.)
Whereupon he relates the incident of another
excursion to Leeds, besides the one we have
before mentioned as having been so ludicrously
particularised. Altogether, our great Humorist so
effectually and (as usual) beneficently, " set the
table in a roar," after the fashion of YORICK,
that he contrived to shake out of the pockets
of those assembled together around it a
a goodly sum of upwards of £l,OOO in subscriptions.
May the supporters of this noble charity laugh
thus (as Tom HOOD expressed it on the droll title
page) from year to year—while the children in the
Commercial Traveller's Schools grow fat under the
influence of that kindly merriment.

LATEST NEWS.

The following telegrams have been received at
Mr. Reuter's office :

PARIS, DEC. 23.

The French Cabinet has, by telegraph, informed
the Powers concerned that the opening of the Con-
gress will not take place before the 19th January
next.

Yesterday Prince Metternich paid his official
visit to her Imperial Highness Princess Mathilde.
The Constitutionnel publishes an article, signed
by its principal editor, M. Grandguillot, approving
in general the contents of the pamphlet "Le Pape
et la Congres," declaring, however, a resolve to
combat some of the propositions made by the
author.

DEC. 22.

Count Avigdor, representative of the Republic
of San Marina at the Court of Paris, has presented
a memorandum to Count Walewski, addressed to
the future Congress, against the encroachments of
Piedmont.

The Emperor of the French has conferred the
Grand C3rdon of the Legion d'Honneur on the
Prince d'Orange.

NAPLES, DEC. 22.

The Commander Carafa not being Minister of
State, but only ad interim Minister for Foreign
Affairs, the King has definitively appointed the
Marquis d'Antonini as his first, and the Chevalier
Canofari as his second, Plenipotentiary at the Con-
gress.

TURIN, DEC. 22.

Baron de Talleyrand, who has been appointed
Minister Plenipotentiary of France at this Court,
is expected here on Saturday.

FLORENCE, DEC. 21.
M. Buoncompagni arrived here to-day.

ROME, DEC. 21.

The report that the Pope had claimed the Pre-
sidency of the Congress for his Plenipotentiary is
unfounded.

ST. PETERSBURG, DEC. 22.

Prince Gortschakoff has expressed a desire that
the opening of the Congress should not take place
until after the Russian new year (Jan. 13, 1860),
as he is detained at the Court on that day by the
duties of his office.

CONSTANTINOPLE, DEC. 20.
Ahmed Wefik Effendi has been appointed Am-
bassador to the Imperial Court of Paris,

MADRID, DEC. 21.

Yesterday 8,000 Moors attacked the Spanish,
but were energetically repulsed, and compelled, by
grapeshot and grenades, to retreat in great dis-
order. The Spanish had 51 wounded.
Ten men-of-war, formerly stationed at Havannah,
have just arrived to reinforce the squadron at
Algeciras.
A great quantity of provisions has been despatched
to the army in Africa.

the law, which cannot be abandoned without caus-
ing enormous loss. Older States cannot proclaim
unrestrained free trade; they can only go on gra-
dually diminishing the tariffs. All the remarks of
the Prince on the magistracy and the administra-
tion of justice are models of magnanimity and cor-
rect judgment. But the most remarkable part of
the message is certainly that which relates to agri-
culture. It is impossible to pass a fitter eulogy on
the labour which transforms the soil, and which, as
he says, is the most important of all. He does not
content himself with recommending good practical
agriculture; he desires that it should also be studied
theoretically and be regularly taught, and he ranks a
professor of agriculture with or even above a professor
of literature. The Prince insists that primary in-
struction should be universal, and that within a
certain time every Roumain should be also able to
read and write. In dissolving the Assembly he has
no idea of making a coup d'etat, he merely dis-
misses it, because it has fulfilled the purpose for
which it was convoked; he dissolves it that the
nation may give the deputies a fresh commission
no longer bearing the same political character, but
having an authority to occupy themselves with in-
ternal improvements. The Prince desires that the
Roumains, whose self-government has been recog-
nised, should march on in a path of progress and
civilisation worthy of brave and intelligent people.
As for the press, he urges upon it to enlighten the
Government on all the great questions of organisa-
tion which will have to be settled, and to give up
all personal polemics, which often prevent the
realisation of great projects. To sum up, we can
affirm that we fully approve of the noble sentiments
which the Prince has nobly expressed."