The Sun.
London, England, 1861-12-23 00:00:00

TILE ROY/IL VAULT AT WINDSOR.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
SlR,—Since the death of the late lamented Prince
Consort, whom all England so deeply deplores, an
erroneous report has been going the round of all thee
daily papers, which had its origin in one of them,l
that the Royal Vault at Windsor had never beeni
opened since the death of the late King William
IV., with the exception of the occasion of the death!
of the Queen Dowager, who was buried by the sidel
of her Royal husband. This, however, is not thei
fact, as it was opened on the occasion of the deaths
of the late Princess Augusta, eldest surviving sisteri
Of our two late Kings, George IV. and William;
IV. ; end this was in 1840, three years after the!
decease of her Royal brother, William IV., and)
many years prior to the death of the late Queen)
Dowager, which was not until quite the latter end
of the year 1849. Also, neither was William IV: at
the last funeral by torchlight. Both the late
Princess Augusta, befere referred to, as likewise her
cousin, the late Princess Sophia Matilda, of Glou-
cester, were buried by torchlight, and both lay in
state ; the former was buried in the Royal Vault,
and the latter in the Royal Gloucester Vault, both
in St. George's Chapel, Windsor. The late Duke,
of Sussex lay in state likewise at Kensington
Palace, where he died, although he was buried, not
in the Royal Vault, but Keosal-green Cemetery.
The late Princess Sophie of Gloucester, who died,
subsequently to the Duke of Sussex, was the lastil
Royal personage who lay in state, which she did at'
her residence at Blackheath, where she died in
November, 1844, and was buried at night.
I remain, Sit, your obedient servant,
A LOVER OF HISTORICAL DATES
AND FACTS.
South-square, Gray's-inn,
Saturday, December 21, 1861.

THE PERU.—The Pacific Steam Navigation Com-
pany's new iron mail steamship Peru arrived in the Mersey,
from the Clyde, at 9 o'clock on Friday morning, having
run the distance from the Cloch Lighthouse in 14 hours,o
exclusive of stoppage for water to cross the bar. The yes-
sel during the run round attained a speed of 15 knots, with.
331 b. pressure of steam, 231 revolutions of engines per ,
minute, and at a consumption of 30cwt. of Scotch coal per
hour. Immediately on the Peru's arrival the Government
inspectors proceeded on board, and the vessel started oni.
trial to the Bell-buoy, when she attained a speed at the rate
of 144 miles per hour, with 351 b. pressure of steam and 241
per minute revolutions of engines. The vessel was built
by Messrs. John Reid and Co., of Port Glasgow, the con-
structors of the Valparaiso, Callao, Scc., for the same service.
The machinery is on the double cylinder principle ofl
Messrs. Randolph, Elder, and Co., of Glasgow, and is the
tenth pair of engines supplied to the company by that firm.
The Peru will start for Valparaiso on Saturday next, the
28th inst., and, besides a number of first. class passengers, '
will convey Government stores, 10 officers, and 100 seamen
and Marines, to join the British fleet now stationed on th,
west coast. The latter are fully armed by her Majesty'r.,
Government, and the ship is provided with patent rifled;
cannon for her own defence. She also takes out rifled guns,
small arms, and ammunition, and a number of trained men
from the British Naval Reserve, for the protection of the
company's other steamships. The Peru is fitted with every
appliance suggested by the company's long experience on
the west coast for the comfort and convenience of passen-
gers, and for the efficient per:ormanee of the mail service.
Her increased speed,the elegance of her upholstery through-
out, and the care expended on her general equipment will,
no doubt, render her the qaaen of the company's fleet in
the Pacific waters. Mr. 'I homes Blissett, of this town, is,
we understand, furnishing the armament of the Peru, and,
also for all the steamers belonging to the Pacific Steamship
Company. This includes the Clay's guns and also the small
arms.—Liverpoa Albion.

THE PARRICIDE AT BIRMINGHAM.—An inquest
was held on Saturday evening on the body of James Mill-
ward, the stamper, shot by his son under the circumstances
detailed in The Sun of Saturday. The widow of the de-
ceased stated that on the evening when the offence was
committed her husband had returned from his work and was
sitting by the fire smoking his pipe. Her son came in, and,
sitting down to supper, pulled from his pocket a pistol,
which he placed upon the table. She wished him to put it.
away, and asked her husband to tell him to do so, but the
latter, instead of doing so, said twice, Shoot me, Johnny.
Attaching no importance to this, she went to the garden.
She there heard the report of the pistol, returned to the
house, and finding that her husband had been shot, became
insensible. Mr. Wilders, house surgeon to the Queen'
Hospital, stated that on Thursday morning, about one
o'clock, the deceased was brought to the hospital with a
very seams pistol-shot wound close to the external
meatus of the left ear. lie died at the same hour on
the Friday following. The deceased, it appears, was very!
fond of his son. In his pocket was found a paper in his;
hand-writing, bearing these words :—" Birmingham, Dec. i
15, 1861. I leave all my goods and chattels to my son, John!
Millward, after my decease." The prisoner, after being
duly c tutioned, said :—" My father told me to shoot him.l
I pulled the trigger up, and took the cap off, and the pistoll
went off and kilted ray poor father." The jury returned a!
verdict of wilful murder,