The Sun.
London, England, 1861-12-11 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, DE CE MBE R, 11, 1861.

prisoners men who have been two or three times
previously sentenced to penal servitude or tran-
sportation." And yet he can add, " It is such persons
who seem to have made up their minds not to give
up a life of crime and self-indulgence, whose con-
duct as prisoners is commendable and regular; and
a very curious fact is, that under rule and disci-
pline their demeanour should exhibit the perfect
contrast that_it does to their habits when liberated.'
Mr. DAVIS, in fact, deliberately closes his ac-
count of the results of his own observation in that
particular by saying,—" When their habits have
been thus formed, the only reasonable and effectual
course to adopt is to keep them perpetually where
they behave well ; they see the influence that
conduct of a regular character produces, and avail
themselves willingly of its instrumentality to
lead to advantages which cannot otherwise be
obtained." What a vague longing for yet larger,
wider, more comprehensive social reforms among
our criminal population, who are out of prison, are
there not opened up to benevolent speculation, by
the simple but most suggestive paragraph immedi-
ately appended to this by the Newgate Ordinary,
where he writes, in reference to these old
offenders,—" Could they do the same (that he
has just been describing!) at liberty,—nzany
besides these would be benefited." Mr. DAVIS,
indeed, observes, and with reason,—" This is the
great object that prisons should aim at, and of
late much has been done towards its attainment.
The care taken in the prisons under the control
of the Government has a happy effect upon the
men; and, as far as I can judge, the number of
this class is lessening." So the good works.
With all our shortcomings in the way of these
reforms, such an appreciably happy result as this
is, at any rate, consolatory as to the past, and
full of encouragement in regard to the future.

The Earl and Countess of Shaftesbury and family
will leave town in a few days for their seat, St. Giles House,
D orsetshire.

The Countess of Desart hay arrived in town.
Her ladyship will leave in a few days, on a visit to Lady
Caroline Duncombe, at Waresby Park, Huntingdonshire.

The Right Hon. Benjamin and Mrs. Disraeli
have arrived at Grosvenor Gate, from Seaham Hall, Dur-
ham, where they have been on a visit to Frances Anne,
Marchioness of Londonderry.
Dr. M'Hale has addressed another letter to Lord
Palmerston, publicity to which is given in the Freeman's
Journal, on the subject of the threatened famine in Ireland,
urging upon Government the necessity of its immediately
taking steps to provide relief for the distressed.
The Cabinet Council which was convened after
the arrival of the news of the Yankee outrage on the
British Flag might appropriately be called " The Council
of Trent."—Punch.

MR. AND MRS. GERMAN REED'S ENTERTAIN-
MENT.—Mr. and Mrs. German Reed have added to their
popular and pleasant entertainment at the Gallery of Illus-
tration "The Vicissitudes of a Colleen Bawn," related
musically by Mr. John Parry. This new version of the
" Colleen Bawn" is a lyro •comic representation of the
principal characters in the original drama; Mr. J. 11. Byron
being the author of the burlesque rhymes, while Mr. F.
Musgrave and Mr. Parry are sponsors to the musical ar-
rangements. Mr. Parry, seated at the pianoforte, relates,
partly in words and partly in music, the chief outlines in
the history of the "Fair Damsel." The mingled pathos
and humour of the drama are well sustained. The most
popular airs of Ireland are introduced, and the alternations
from "grave to gay," for which the music of Erin is re-
markable, suited admirably the structure of the little piece.
It may perhaps be best characterised by saying of it that
"'Twas sad by fits, by starts 'twas wild." It was very well
relished by a numerous audience.

TEE LATE MR. ALFRED MYNN.—It has lately
been suggested by several cricketers that a monument should
be erected to the late Mr. Alfred Mynn. one of Kent's most
noted champions. The proposition is, "that a mixed com-
mittee of twelve should be formed, consisting of an even
number of gentlemen and players, and that the Marylebone
Club, who always chose the All England Eleven against
Kent in days gone by, should be represented by two com-
mittee men ; also that Hampshire, Surrey, Sussex, and
Nottingham, with Kent, should each send two members."
Should this suggestion be adopted, it would no doubt ob-
tain the support of the cricket clubs of England. The
remains of the late Mr. Mynn are interred in Thurnham
churchyard, Kent.
MORE TROOPS FOR CANADA.—In addition to the
Persia, Australasian, Adriatic, and Panama, six other
screw transports were taken up yesterday, and will be got
ready with all speed to take troops on board. The ru-
moured intention to send a portion of the Guards to Canada
has been confirmed. The 2d Battalion of the Grenadier
Guards and the 2d Battalion of the Fusilier Guards have
received orders to be ready for embarkation at once. The
whole force at present under orders for embarkation is as
follows--the corps comprising it have already been speci-
fied :—Two battalions of Guards, four batteries of field
artillery, five batteries of garrison artillery, six battalions
of infantry, three companies of sappers and miners, two
battalions of the Military Train, and 40 mon of the Com..
missariat Staff Corps. Others aro under orders to hold
themselves in readiness. The change of armament in the
Warrior will be effected with little trouble. In a day or
so her long 63's will be replaced by 100-pounder Arm-
strong's.

TESTIMONIAL TO A RAILWAY OFFICER.—The
proposed testimonial to Mr. Spencer, who has for the last
24 years most efficiently occupied the position of assistant
station-master at the Euston-square station of the London
and North- Western it ailway, has, it appears from the sub-
scription list which has been forwarded to us, been very
liberally responded to by a very large number of the noble-
men and others who habitually travel upon the line. The
subscriptions, which are to be received up to tho 30th of
the present month, amount to nearly £5OO, and in the list
of names are those of the late Duke of Bedford, the Duke
of Cleveland, the lath Duke of Sutherland, the Marquis of
Cholmondeley, the Marquis of Westminster, the Earl of
Clarendon, the Earl of Lonsdale, the Earl of Londes-
borough, the Earl of Shrewsbury and Talbot, the Bishop
of Lichfield, Lord Ebury, Lord Southampton, Baron
Rothschild, M.P., Sir G. Chetwynd, Sir John Louther,
Bart., M.P., Mr. Dudley Marjoribanks, M.P., Mr. C. N.
Newdegate, M.P., Sir R. Peel, Bart , M.P., Sir Morton
Peto, Bart., M.P., Sir O. Roney, and the Hon. Mr. P. S.
Pierrepont, M.P., and Mr. Barron, two of the directors of
the London and North-Western Company. It is stated
that the subscriptions are to be paid to G. A. Davis, Esq.,
23, Spring-gardens.

WARD OF FARRINGDON WITIIOUT.—PRECINCT
OF ST. BRIDE.—A precinct meeting was held yesterday in
the vestry room of St. Bride's, for the nomination of Com-
mon Councilmen and ward officers for the ensuing year,
Nix.. Churchwarden Smith in the chair. The vestry-clerk
having road the minutes of the last meeting, Mr. Kirk pro-
posed, and Mr. Botterill seconded, the nomination of Mr.
R. Obbard ; Mr. Sims proposed, and Mr. Brown seconded
the nomination of Mr. G. Walter; and Mr. Jewell pro-
posed, and Mr. Avant seconded the nominationoof Mr. Cot-
terell, to be returned to the wardmote as the gentlemen to
represent the precinct in the Common Council. Ther©
being no other nomination the above named gentlemen were
duly elected. Messrs. Obbarcl and Walter, who wore pre-
sent, returned thanks for the honour done them.

ANTI-MAYNOOTH CRUSADE IN DUBLIN. A
meeting of persons opposed to the endowment of Maynooth
College was held on Monday evening at the Rotunda, in
Dublin, for the purpose of hearing an exposition on the
subject from Mr. Whalley, M.P. The Round Room was
thronged to excess. The chair was taken by Sir Edward
Grogan, Bart., M.P., who went into a history of the May-
nooth endowment, contending that it was never meant to
have been permanent, and that it ought to be repealed. He
congratulated Mr. Whalley on having suceeeded to the
mission of Mr. Spooner--a mission which Mr. 'Whalley, he
was sure, would devotedly and persistently fulfil. A pee-
tion to Parliament for the repeal of the grant was adopted.
A letter from Rome says :—" The paternal Go-
vernment of the Vatican has just issued two edicts of
rather a peculiar description. One, which forbids tailov,
tailoresses, and milliners to work on fete-days, and the
keepers of ristoranti and eating-houses to serve any food
except that of the most maigre' kind on those holy days.
To appreciate the inconvenience of this despotic order, it
must be remembered that for the next six months there
will be on an average two of these fasts out of each week,
besides the rauckle fast they Ca' Sunday.' The second order
relates to the art of photography, and so great are the pains
to suppress this useful science, and so lengthy the clauses of
the police regulations on the subject, that the ' New &a-
landee (supposing him to have come to Rome to try his
prentice hand on the Coliseum) might well suppose it to be
the black art' itself."

SUlClDE.—Stephen Agate, a draper at Cuckfield
in Sussex, a cousin of John Agate, whose wife killed one of
her own children and afterwards cut her own throat on
Thursday last, committed suicide yesterday morning. At
about 8 o'clock the report of a gun was heard proceeding
from a shed adjoining his dwelling house. Several neigh-
bours ran to the spot, and, upon entering the place, found
the unfortunate man lying quite dead, the upper portion
of his head being completely blown away. Near him lay
a gun which had recently been discharged. He had evi-
dently put the muzzle of the loaded gun in his mouth, and
had drawn the trigger by pulling a string with his foot.
The only cause which can be suggested as having probably
led to the fatal act is that his mind may have been affected
by dietress, arising from the calamity which had so lately
befallen a branch of his family.