The Sun.
London, England, 1861-12-17 00:00:00

ROY AL NAVAL RESERVE.

The Naval Reserve enrolled in the ports of
Whitehaven, Maryport, and Peterhead, have, like
their brother sailors in other ports, spontaneously
signified their offer of service to the Inspecting Com-
manders of Coastguard in the following letters:—

" Whitehaven, Deo. 5, 1861.

" Sir,—We, the seamen of the Royal Naval
Reserve in this port, have heard with indignation
that our flag has been insulted by an American
ship of war, and we write this to let you know
that we are ready to fulfil our engagement and
protect the honour of our flag, our good Queen, and
country, whenever called upon to do so.
(Signed on behalf of the men of the Royal
Naval Reserve, 38 in number.)
" To Captain Comber, Inspecting Commander,
Coastguard."
" Maryport, Dec. 7, 1861.
" Sir,—We, the undersigned members of the
Royal Naval Reserve at Maryport, do hereby sig-
nify to you our services in any action taken by the
Government to avenge the insults offered to our flag
in the eTent of the American Government refusing
to make the necessary reparation and apology for
the stopping of the Trent and arrest of some pas-
sengers on board.
(Signed by all the Reserve, 20 in number.)
" To Captain Comber, Inspecting Commander,
Coastguard."
" Peterhead, Dec. 10, 1861.
" Sir' —We, the undersigned men, enrolled in the
Royal Naval Reserve in the port of Peterhead,
considering that a most wanton and unjustifiable
insult has been perpetrated by the commander of
the war-ship San Jacinto, belonging to the Federal
Government of America, on the British flag, hereby
moss cordially make offer of our services, should her
Most Gracious Majesty see fit, by Royal proclama-
tion, to call for them. .
(Signed by 73 Royal Naval Reserve Men.)
"To Commander Mould, R.N., Inspecting Com-
mander, Coastguard, Aberdeen."

NEW SPIRITUAL PEER.—In consequence of the
recent episcopal changes arising out of the death of Dr.
Villiers, Bishop of Durham, Dr. henry Philpett, Bishop
of Worcester, will be entitled to take his seat as a spiritual
peer at the commencement of the next session of Parlia-
ment. Dr. Thomson, who was consecrated Bishop of Glou-
cester and Bristol on Sunday, will not be entitled to a scat
in the House of Lords until the avoidance of a see other
than Canterbury, York, London, Durham, or Winchester.
This arrangement takes place under the provisions of the
Act constituting the Bishopric of Manchester.
The Bombay Gazette says that a monster train,
consisting of 77 carriages, was run from Surat to Baroda,
the day before the fair held on the Dussera festival. When
it passed over the Taptee and Nerbudda Iron Bridges, the
passengers offered to the rivers cocoanuts in such large
quantities that the waters for the time seemed quite
covered with them. It is said that this shower of cocoa-
nuts was offered that the rivers, over which such monster
trains were to pass, might not open "their whit) mouth and
swallow up the human freight,"

THE LAST OF THE MORTIMERS. By the author
of "Margaret Maitland," &c. 3 vols.—" The Last of the
Mortimors," says the .4thenceum, "is a charming book—
simple, quaint, and fresh. It is a novel, comme it yen a
pea' (the more's the pity) ; and it will go far to sustain the
reputation of the author of ' Margaret Maitland.' The two
Millys and little Sarah are all delightful characters, and
Harry and the Italian Count are a capital pair of heroes."

SOUTH KENSINGTON MUSEUM.—Daring the
week ending Dec 14 the visitors have been as follows :
On Monday, Tuesday, and Saturday (free days), 44403 ;
on Monday and Tuesday (free evenings), 3,771; on the
three students' days (admission to the public 6d.), 1,190 ;
02ie students' evening (Wednesday), 236; total, 9,600.
Fromm the opening of the Museum, 2,388,000.

THE SUN.
LONDON, TUESDAY, DEC. 17, 1861.

Gradually, little by little, we are beginning to
appreciate more at its true proportions the magni-
tude of the dreadful loss recently sustained by Her
MAJESTY and the loyal subjects of the Crown. As
we set forth by remarking yesterday it was diffi-
cult upon the instant to realise this—so abrupt and

altogether unexpected has been this dire calamity.
iSo suddenly has it descended upon the nation, and,
we may confidently assert, we believe, even upon
our gracious SOVEREIGN herself, that we are not in
any way writing at random when we observe
that—but one brief week ago:the mere thought of the
Death of His Royal Highness had not entered into
anyone's imagination. The catastrophe involved in
that lamentable demise has dropped like a thunder-
bolt upon the palace-home of our Royal House at
Windsor Castle—it has flashed like disastrous
lightning gleams (literally, thus, disseminated as
the tidings have been far and wide, and as they are
still being farther and wider upon the wings of the
electric telegraph) hither and thither to all parts of
the United Kingdom, and already even to the
remotest corners of the European Continent. Every-
where there is—how, in fact, could it possibly be
otherwise P—but one single emotion awakened,
that of the profoundest, the most unaffected, and
the most instantaneous commiseration. A com-
miseration, first of all, with the most afflicted
mourner among all the mourners, the bereaved
wife, the widowed QUEEN. And afterwards an
earnest commiseration with the loyal nation
mourning with her in the bitterness of her irrepar-
able loss. In saying this there is not one particle
of exaggeration. Never has public sympathy been
more sincere, more thoroughly genuine, more pro-
foundly heartfelt. Not even when, nearly half a
century ago, as our contemporary the Post re•
marked yesterday, a remark impressively echoed
by the limes this morning, the people of England
were, in one sense, similarly afflicted by the equally
Startling and unlooked-for death of H.R.H. the
Princess CHARLOTTE and her new-born infant.
Similar the afflictions have been, that is to say, in
their appalling suddenness.
part from that F
events a
—thereor—vi jesw ipng
perceptible
etitbwleo
between them simply an affecting contrast
rather than any mournful analogy. Then the
I
i loss to the nation was
entirely prospec•
tive. Now it is that undoubtedly to the full—but
while it is so, it is amply retrospective likewise.
The Hopes of the Country then were dashed ex-
clusively. The Gratitude of the Nation as well as
its Hopes, we have now had pierced to the very quick
by the anguish of this astounding affliction,
We have had reason to be proud of this adopted
Son of England—espoused at the very dawn of his
ears ago, by the
manhood, two and twenty y