The Sun.
London, England, 1857-10-06 00:00:00

GENERAL ORDER.

" Head-quarters, Calcutta, Aug. 25, 1857.—The
!ollowing ordeis are pu.l4li,khed for information :
" GENERAL ORDER BY THE RIGHT HON. THE GOVER-

NOR-GENERAL OF INDIA IN COUNCIL.

" Fort W lliatn, Aug. 15, 1857.—N0. 1,031 of
1857.—His Excellency General Sir Colin Camp-
bell, G. C.B. , appointed by her Majesty to be Com-
mander-in-Chief of her Majesty's and all other
Forces serving in the East Indies, having arrived
on the 13th inst., assumed command of the army
in India on that date.

" Ordered, that all returns of the army be made
in the usual manner to General Sir Colin Camp-
bell, G.C.13., as Commander-in-Chief.
" His Excellency Lieut.-General Sir Patrick
Grant, K. C. 8., acting commander-in-chief in Ben-
gal, will return to Madras and resume the com-
mand of the army at the Presidency of Fort St.
George.
" The Governor General in Council directs that
all the honours and distinctions paid to the Com-
mander-iu-Chiet of all the forces in Bengal, shall
be continued to his Excellency Lieut.-General Sir
P. Grant, K.C.8., until his departure for Madras.
(Signed) "R.J. H. BIRCH, Colonel,
" Secretary to the Government of India,
in the Military Department,"
Sir Colin had excited the utmost enthusiasm at
Calcutta, and the general saying was that his pre-
sence was as good as that of 10,000 men.

MR. SPURGEON AND THE CRYSTAL PALACE.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SIR, —ln your paper of yesterday I find a para-
graph stating that Mr. Spurgeon has " nobly con-
sented" to peach at the Crystal Palace on Wednes-
day next. I regret that I fail to appreciate the
matter in its " noble" light, and I think when it
becomes to be considered by the public they will
agree with me in the opinions I hold thereon. Sir,
all places of amusement" are ordered to be closed
by order of the Lord Chamberlain on the day in
question, and consequently, as the Crystal Palace
falls within that category, it cannot lay claim to
any exemption. A scheme must therefore be de-
vised by which the motives of the directors may be
applauded lather can condemned, while at
the same time the end may be answered
of exempting themselves from other "places
of amusement." Mr. Spurgeon presents himself
to their notice, is at once accepted, and bills
issued announcing his "noble consent." The
charge of one shilling is to be made for admission,
and if that were all the directors might lay claim
to some purity of intention, by devoting the pro-
ceeds to the Indian Relief Fund ; but when we
find that, in addition to that charge, there is to be
a collection made, and the collection only to be
devoted Va the purposes of the charity, we cannot
but feel that there is something more than meets
the public eye, and some motives of a more interested
character than that which devotes itself to the be-
nefit of the Indian sufferers. Moreover, sir, how
grossly inconsistent is the announcement at the foot
of the bills with which the city is at this moment
placarded. After declaring the sacred character of
the day—one for " solemn prayer and humiliation"
—it states, "Trains will run at frequent intervals."
Sir, has Mr. Spurgeon any feeling—have the Crys-
tal Palace directors any concern for the souls of
those unfortunate engine-drivev, ticket-collectors,
S-c., who must necessarily be engaged on that day ?
What prayer will they be allowed to offer ? What
humiliation will they be permitted to evince ? The
day will be to them one of hard and wearisome toil,
and thus the generous spirit of the government in
fixing one of the days of labour, so that man might
have no excuse for not attending his church or
chapel, will be in a great measure frustrated. What
a spectacle must the interior of the Crystal Palace
present on Wednesday next ! Gaiety and exciting
pleasure will prevail (for the directors, if ever so
disposed, cannot remove the ordinary attractions),
and usurp the place of humiliation and prayer—
thus will the day be made one of mirth and revelry
rather than self-abasement and supplication.
It is to be hoped that the intelligent portion of
the public will not lend themselves to the move-
ment. There is plenty of room in our several
churches and chapels for all to offer up prayer,_i and
t
Crystal
further, there many true labourers in God's
callingvitieo-
tns of theirintheaiipeople.d T
ofr.Spurgeonho
aysasridst NVolitehinOUet ditaio
Palace is the very last place for so solemn a service.
A public exhibition is no suitable edifice for humi-
liation and prayer, to entreat the Almighty. to re-
move one of the most fearful national calamities
ever inflicted.

I trust, sir, you will find this a place in your
valuable columns, in which event I doubt not that
the remarks, feeble though they be, will reap, i❑
some degree at' least, that effect so earnestly in-
tended by, sir, your obedient servant,

J. M. W.

October 5.

Last night at nine o'clock, after the evening
service at New Park-street Chapel, a meeting of
the deacons and committee of the Rev. Mr. Spur
goon's congregation was held in the vestry of the
chapel, for the purpose of making and finally adopt-