The Sun.
London, England, 1861-01-09 00:00:00

ThE SUN, _LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, JANUARY 9, 1861.

of half a r.:entury has now elapsed since
the noble v iscount was elected a burgess of
that ancient corporation, Recollecting these
things, rem, timbering too the great age attained by
Lord PALM LERSTON without any appreciable dimi-
nution in the vigour, whether of his rare intellectual
gifts or of his hardly less remarkable physical con-
stitution, it is interesting to every thoughtful
citizen of this empire to note, from however remote
a distance, the circumstances of this illustrious
statesman's reception, in his supreme position as
Prime Minister of England, of his cordial welcome
yesterday by his friends and neighbours and brother
burgesses of the ancient borough of Southampton.
It is characteristic of the man himself, and
significant of his singular and indomitable
vitality, to read in the report of yesterday's
proceedings down at Southampton, that
during the procession to the site of the
Hartley Institution the veteran Premier
" walked slightly lame"—not from infirmity, the
noble lord being in his " usually robust health"
but simply " owing to an accident which happened
to him while shooting on Saturday last at Broad-
lands." The accident, it is only just to add, arising
from the shot out of the gun of another member of
the party having glanced against the Premier's
leg, and drawn blood—happily, it is added,
producing no more serious consequences
than the temporary lameness particularized.
The incident is so vividly illustrative of
the' unflagging energies of this man of almost
undimmed adolescence—who has, nevertheless,
already reached a period of life not quite
one lustre removed from the patriarchal age of
an octogenarian—that we have been unable to
resist the impulse to allude thus conspicuously
to it in our leading columns, regarding it as
another of those frequent reminders (unde-
signedly afforded to his fellow-countrymen byLord
PALMERSTON) of Sir ROBERT PEEL'S explanation
in reference to him—" We are all proud of him !"
Proud of him physically and intellectually. Proud
of him we have often been, in past years as an
administrator, as the chief diplomatic guardian of
the honour of England and Englishmen. Let us
yet hope that we shall have good reason this year to
be proud of his policy at home and abroad, as the
responsible chief of her Britannic MAJESTY'S Go-
vernment. Particularly towards the close of last
session we had occasion to exult in Lord
PALMERSTON'S utterance (in the House of Commons)
of opinions and sentiments worthy in every re-
spect of his European reputation. Since then
his responsibilities as Chief Minister of the Crown,
as the recognised leader of the British Government,
have increased rather than diminished. To
understand upon the instant how they must by
necessity 'have thus increased, it is only requisite
to bear in remembrance those three events which
have Foccurred ';between the close of last session
and the commencement of the session now fast
approaching, those three astounding events whirls
were the principal subjects touched upon in Lord
PALMERSTON'S speech yesterday at Southampton.
The capture of the capital of China by the soldiers
of England and France ! The progressive consolida-
tion of Italian Unity ! The beginning apparently
of the disruption in North America of the Great
Republican Confederation ! The reference made by
Lord PALMERSTON to each of these three wonderful
events will be found worthy of especial examina-
tion. His words, as indicative of the future policy
of his Government, will be found not only worthy
of particular"scrutiny, but here and there in a very
peculiar manner most auspicious. Would thatiLord
PALMERSTON could have vouchsafed to us auguries
as welcome in regard to the financial policy of his
Administration, as in reference to its Foreign Policy.
Upon Mr. GLADSTONE'S department, however, the
Premier wisely touched not at all. Ho had genial
words of praise to lavish with outspoken gene-
rosity upon the Secretary for War, upon the
Foreign Secretary, upon H.R.H. the Commander-
in-Chief, upon the Governor-General of India,
upon Admiral HOPE, upon Sir HOPE GRANT,
upon the Earl of ELGIN and KINCARDINE—he had
not one syllable of a complimentary kind to
articulate in reference to the Chancellor
of the Exchequer. That right honourable
gentleman, according to a growing belief, is be-
ginning to be regarded, (it is said, by the Premier
himself, and by not a few of the Premier's Minis-
terial colleagues) as the JONAH of the good ship of
the Government. Whether—to right the cargo
which he is for ever shifting about so very
rashly and perversely—he ►ill come at length
to be himself summarily pitched overboard as
one needlessly imperilling the fortunes of the
Cabinet and the finances of the nation
cannot much longer be left as at present,
entirely problematical. February will soon bring
the labours of the session of 1861 upon us—and
then but a brief interval will have to elapse before
we shall have an opportunity of judging how far
the future financial policy of the Coalition will
tend to expiate Mr. GLADSTONE'S past blundering;
how far the financial policy of the present
Ministry will harmonise with that home policy
and that foreign policy, by whiclthis second
Palmerstonian Administration is striving so mani-
festly to further the interests, and to facilitate the
diffusion, far and wide, of the great principles of
Constitutional Government.

SECESSION OF SOUTH CAROLINA:

The following extract is from a letter of a per-
sonal friend at Lewisburg, in Pennsylvania :
Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, U.S., Dec. 16, 1860.

"Politically all things have continued to get worse and
worse. Pecuniarily, as a general thing, it has been the
same. Banks have suspended, and the value of all things
greatly diminished. I have not muoh reason to fear that
I shall particularly suffer, but we are now in the midst of
such a scene of turmoil and madness as can be hardly con-
ceivable to you at a distance. You can form no idea of the
character and feelings of a slaveholder, their pride, erre-
ance and demands g
speech of one of the best of these mad and bad men, that
you may see what we have to contend with now. Our
greatest fear is civil war. The South is desperate. . . .
There has been a mighty meeting in Philadelphia of from
forty to fifty thousand en this subject; and to allay the
wrath of the South, they are willing to make such conces-
sions as would ultimately admit slavery again in free States,
from which at great loss it has been excluded. This arises
from their selfish fears of the loss of Southern custom !
But the country, far more populous than the cities, have
no such interests, and will not submit to this ; and if they
all would, the South is shrewd enough to see this is all from
self-interested motives, and laugh it to scorn. There seems
no alternative but that freedom frrom slavery must ulti-
mately triumph, or this whole country be overrun with
slaves and slaveholders. Miseries unutterable await the
South in this contest, and the great problem of self-govern-
ment appears at this time to be in the greatest jeopardy."

The Duke of Hamilton has joined the Duchess
and family at Paris from Scotland.

The Nlarehioness (Dowager) of Lothian and Lady
Alice Kerr have arrived in town from the Continent.

The Marquis and Marchioness of Ailesbury have
been entertaining a succession of visitors at Tottenham
Park, Wilts. _ _ _

Viscount Jocelyn and the Hon. Frederick
Jocelyn have been suffering from an attack of measles for
some days past.
The Lord Chancellor returned to town on Mon-
day evening from Torquay.
Lord and Lady Churehill bare left the St.
George's Hotel.
Lord Methuen has left the St. GeOrge's Hotel.
Count Maximilian Esterhazy has arrived at
Chandos House, from Vienna, to enter upon his 44tiss as
attache to the Austrian Embassy,

The Marquis d'Audigne, has left Wallace's Hotel,
St. George's-place, for Elvaston, Derbyshire, on a visit to
the Earl and Countess of Harrington.

Lady Do Dunstanville has quite recovered from
her recent indisposition.
Count Strezlecki has returned to town from
visiting the Marquis and Marchioness of Ailesbury, at
Tottenham Park, Wilts.

His Royal Highness the General Commanding-
n-Chief will hold a levee, at one o'clock, on Friday neat.

His Excellency the Belgian Minister and
Madame Van de Weyer have returned to New Lodge,
Windsor Forest, from a tour of visits.

The Duke of Newcastle is entertaining company
at Clumber Park, His grace is expected in town on the
18th inst.

The Marquis and Marchioness of Clanricarde
are expected in town in a few days from Portumna Castle,
Galway. .

The Countess of Jersey has taken a house at St.
Leonard's-on-Sea, and will move there with her family in
a few days.

The Countess Dowager Grey, who has been
seriously indisposed of late, is now in better health.

The Secretary of State for India in Council has
appointed Major-General Sir Robert Napier, K.C.8.,
Bengal Engineers, an ordinary member of the Council of
the Governor-General of India, in the room of Lieutenant-
General Sir James Outram, Bart., G.C.8., resigned.
The committee of investigation of the Great
Western of Canada Railway have at length, after a ire-
monstrance from an influential body of shareholders, pro-
mised that their long delayed report shall be ready in
about three weeks.

THE DISTRESS IN COVENTRY.—Madame Celeste,
of the Lyceum Theatre, has given notice that a Morning
Performance will take place at that Theatre on Tuesday,
Jan. 16, when the entire receipts will be given to the fund
appointed to alleviate the very terrible distress at present
existing among the riband weavers of Coventry and its
neighbourhood.
THE NATIONAL DEBT.—The Lords Commis-
sioners of her Majesty's Treasury having certified to the
Commissioners fir the Reduction of the National Debt
that there was no surplus of actual revenue over the actual
expenditure of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland for the year ended the 30th of September, 1860,
the Commissioners for the Reduction of the National Debt
hereby give notice that no sum will be applied by them on
account of the sinking fund, under the provisions of the
Act 10 Geo. IV., cap. 27, between the 6th day of January
and the 31st of March, 1861.—C. H. W. A‘CouuT,
Assistant Comptroller.—National Debt-office, Jan., 1861.
—Gazette.

PRICE OF GOLD.—The quotation of gold at Paris
is about 1 per raffle premium, and the short exchange on
London is 25.20 per £ sterling. On comparing these rates
with the English mint price of £3 17s. 100. per ounce for
standard gold, it appears that gold is at about the
same price in. Paris as it is in London. By advices
from Hamburg the price of gold is 424 per mark ; the short
exchange on London is 13.4 a per sterling. Standard gold
at the English mint price is, therefore, not quite 1-10th per
cent. dearer in London than in Hamburg. The course of
exchange at New York on London for bills at sixty days'
sight is about 101 per cent., which, compared with the
Mint par between the two countries, shows that the ex-
change is against England. At the above rate there is a
profit on sending gold to the United States.

SHIPWRECK OFF THE NORFOLK COAST.—On
Sunday the brig Arethusa, of Blyth, from Shields for
Dieppe, wits lost on the Cross Sand, off Great Yarmouth.
The weather being bitterly severe, the crew, eight in num-
ber, were placed in a position of great suffering and peril.
The Caistor lifeboat proceeded, however, to their assistance,
and they were landed at Yarmouth, where they were placed
in the Sailors' Home.

THE MURDER AT PLYMOUTH BARRACKS.-
PLYMOUTH, Tuesday Evening.—The inquest on the body
of Sergeant Jones has been adjourned until Friday. The
jury unanimously refuse to proceed with the case while the
magistrates prevent the attendance of Hacked. Jones was
buried this afternoon with military honours.

THE ROAD MURDER.—Sir Fitzroy Kelly and
Mr. Cole, of the Western Circuit, have been retained on
the part of Mr. Sylvester, to show cause against the rule
obtained by the Attorney-General in the last term, to quash
the inquisition taken in this extraordinary case, that a new
inquiry may be had before commissioners. The case will
not come on for argument during the first week of the term,
but a special application will be made to the Court to fix a
day so as to enable Sir Richard Bethell to attend. On the
part of Mr. Sylvester a vast number of affidavits have been
sworn, and it is stated that some very serious charges will
be made against certain persons of endeavouring to baffle
the inquiry, and also against the conduct of the police.
MAN KILLED AT THE PIMLICO RAILWAY STA-
TION.-A master carpenter named Samuel Crabtree, aged
52, was engaged at the Victoria station of the London,
Chatham, and Dover Railway in the erection of an engine
station. On the afternoon of the Ist inst. he was on the
roof of the building, when suddenly missing his footing he
fell to the ground, a height of 25 feet. Without loss of
time he was conveyed to the hospital, but it was found that

several of his ribs were broken, and that he was suffering
from severe internal injuries, which resulted in ihis
death two days afterwards. A coroner's jury returned a
verdict of " Accidental death."

SKATING ON THE RIVER DEE, CHESTER—FATAL
ACCIDENTS.—The river Dee has been frozen over since
Wednesday last, and hundreds of skaters have been on the
ice. On Saturday a youth, named Williams, was skating
just opposite Dee lane, when he came across a hole in the
ice, and before he had time to turn off from the spot he fell
in and was drowned. A young man, who gallantly rushed
into the water after the lad, was quite exhausted when
taken out. A young gentleman, named Sheriff, who was
skating on the ice, is also missing. He had skated some
miles up the river to a place called Farn, and is supposed
to have perished on his way back. A young man from
Liverpool came to Chester for the purpose of skating, and
has not since been heard of.

BIRMINGHAM QUARTER SESSIONS.—At these
sessions, yesterday, Mr. Henry Sparrow, commission agent,
came up to receive judgment upon a conviction of an Et-
gravated assault, with intent, &c., at the previous sessions,
upon Mr. Samuel Griffiths, iron broker, &c., of Wolver-
hampton. The conviction aeon the most serious part of
the charge has since been affirmed by the Court of Queen's
Bonch, but in the meantime Mr. Sparrow having apolo-
gised to Mr. Griffiths, as far as the latter was concerned,
sentence was not demanded. The Recorder (Mr. M. D.
Hill) commented on the serious character of the offence of
which the defendant had been guilty, and said that but for
the apology the sentence would have been severe. Under
the circumstances he ordered Mr. Sparrow to be impri-
soned for one day, and to pay a fine of £5O.

SNOW STORM.—LOSS OF A BRIG.—GREAT YAR•
MOUTH, Jan. 7.—A heavy fall of snow set in on Saturday
night, and has continuedr with little intermission, up to
this evening. The average depth on the road is not less
than 10 or 12 inches, rendering double teams necessary for
ordinary vehicles ; but in the fields the drift is in some
places sor 6 feet deep. On Sunday, at half-past 8 a.m.,
the brig Arethusa, from Newcastle for Dieppe, laden with
coals, the wind squally from the N.E., and the weather
very thick with snow, struck on the Cross Sand, and began
to fill so rapidly that the crew (seven in number) had barely
time to quit her in the ship's boat, leaving everything be-
hind. After drifting about for three hsurs in the blinding
storm they were picked up, almost exhausted by the Caister
lifeboat, and, having landed at Caister, were forwarded on
the same day to the Sailors' Home of this port, where they
received change of clothing, warm food, and other neces-
saries. Within 10 minutes after the crew left the brig
every vestige of her had disappeared in the sands. The
Arethusa was 172 tons register, and was insured from
.£l,lOO ; cargo uncertain.

THE SCREW STEAMSHIP QUEEN VICTORIA.-
PLYmotui, Tuesday.—The telegraphic cable is in course
of removal in a satisfactory manner from tho ship. The
high and dangerous temperature in the hold, caused in some
measure by the brightness of the wire used in the cable, has
been completely subdued by the unexpected submersion
when the ship was stranded, and it is now in capital condi-
tion. The total length of cable received on board was about
425 knots, viz., the two shore ends, together, say, 70 knots,
the remainder 355 knots. The weight of the cable is, say,
shore end, 70 knots, at 7 tons per knot, 490 tons ; small
cable 355 knots, at 2 1-7 tens per knot, 748 tons ; total,
( 1238 tons. The two gun brigs, Rover and Pilot, each of
400 tons, are moored abreast of each other, directly astern
of the Queen Victoria. The Pilot is to the starboard, re •
ceiving cable from the after hold ; she has the entire of one
of the shore ends, about 27 knots, nearly 200 tons, and
may be able to take about 50 miles of the small cable. The
Rover is to port, and has received from the forehold of the
steamer 23 knots, say, 180 tons, and may be able to stow 70
miles of the lesser cable. There must, of course, be a
severance of the cable when eachbrig's stowage is on board.
Up to noon to-day the weather, although very cold, with
occasional heavy falls of snow, continues moderate. No
further damage has been done to the ship, and every mile
of cable removed lessens the liability to injury. The cable
is to be landed at Keyham steamyard.

- -
THE COLONNADE, CLARE MARKET.—A row of
small houses situate at the back of Clare-market, and
known as the Colonnade, has been recently appropriated to
various uses of a philanthropic and beneficial character,
comprising a home for destitute boys, who are employed in
various situations during the day, and who return at night
to the refuge to sleep. There is also a soup kitchen, a
school for adults, a working men's clubroom and smoking-
room, and a reading and working room for women. Another
portion of the building has now been fitted up for the re-
ception of poor tteedlewomen, who, by the payment of a
trifling weekly sum, will obtain the advantages of a com-
fortable home and be preserved from the temptations and
danger to which poor friendless women are exposed. The
institution was opened o Monday evening, and, although
the nuttin' a inmates will at first necessarily be limited,
yet it is hoped that its benefits Wilt Niue long bP
extended
to a laruer nu u

ROYAL ENGLISH OPERA.

Mr. Alfred Mellon's opera of " Victorine," originally
produced in December, 1859, was revived here on Monday
evening, with a success as complete as that which attended
its first performance. Considerable changes have been
made in the cast. Julien is now assumed by Mr. Wharton,
in the place of Mr. Santley ; Mr. Wallworth supersedes Mr.
G. Honey as Griffon ; whilst, most important of all, the
part of Victorine herself has fallen into the hands of Miss
Louisa Pyne, who, it may be said without the slightest dis-
paragement of the accomplished artiste who personated the
unfortunate heroine last season, does it, both as regards act-
ing and singing, complete justice. Mr. Henry Haigh is still
the representative of the fortunate lover, Michel; Mr. H. Corri
retains the part of Hector, which he sings and acts so ad-
mirably; and Miss Thirlwall is again the Louise of the
piece.

The pantomime here has been considerably abridged
since" Boxing-night." The transformation scene, which
is one of the most gorgeous and fanciful ever produced,
with its beautiful effects of real water, is received nightly
with the most rapturous applause.