The Sun.
London, England, 1861-12-28 00:00:00

ROYAL HORIICULTUR iL SOCIETY.

At a meeting of the council specially summoned
yesterday, the following m )st gracious and affect-
ing communication, addressed to Mr. C. Wentworth
Dilke, one of the vice-presidents, was received :
(Copy of letter from Sir C. B. Phipps to Mr. Dilke.)

" Osborne, Dec. 24, 1861.
" My dear Dilke,—The Queen has directed me to inform
you that it is her Majesty's wish that the Horticultural
Gardens should be considered as under her peculiar and
personal patronage and protection.

"The only consolation that her Majesty can hope to find
for the rest of her life, under her bitter and hopeless
bereavement, is to endeavour to carry out the wishes and
intentions of her beloved husband.

" The Queen well knows the aeep interest that he took
in this undertaking, and would wish to have periodical re-
poits sent to her Majesty of the progress and proceedings of
the society,—Sincerely yours,

" C. B. PHIPPS."

The public will be interested to learn that the
famous astrologer, Zadkiel, the Nostradamus of
his day, is about to issue from the press a new
sixpenny Quaterly, entitled, " The Voice of the
Stars." The initial number is announced to appear
upon New Year's Day.

THE HEALTH OF LORD BROUGHAM.—SeveraI of
the French journals have published a paragraph stating
that "Lord Brougham, at the unexpected intelligence of
Prince Albert's death, was so dreadfully affected that he
fainted, and that it was necessary to carry his lordship im-
mediately from the garden into the house, where an attack
of fever supervened, bu!, which gave way afterwards to pro.
per medical treatment." This statement, a letter from
Cannes informs us, has caused the greatest surprise to all
the persons admitted to his lordship's intimacy, as not
only has Lord Brougham never fainted in his life, but in
the present case was in a measure prepared for the sad in-
telligence by letters previously received. His lordship also
has not been attacked by fever or any other ailment, but
continues in excellent health, The whole account is a mere
fiction in every respect, without a shadow of foundation.—
Galignani.

His Majesty the King of the Belgians, attended
by Count de Moerkerke and Dr. Koepl, arrived at Osborne
yesterday.

Yesterday an order was received at Liverpool
from the Admiralty to detain till Monday the Pacific Com-
pany's new steamer Peru, announced to sail to day for Val-
paraiso. The Peru will carry out reinforcements and stores
for the Paciric squadron.

THE VALUE OF TOBACCO IMPORTED.—From a
return to Pariiament issued yesterday, it appears that in the
month ended the 30th ult. the value of tobacco imported
was £247,737 ; and in the 11 months as much as £1,298,506.
Upwards of eight millions, including the duty, are annually
spent in tobacco.

THE MAILS, &C.—SOUTHAMPTON, Dec. 27.—
Two of the Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamers
were despatched hence to-day, the Delta, Capt. J. S. Field,
taking the Mediterranean and Bombay mails, and the
Tagus, Capt. W. B. Hall, having the mails for Vigo,
Oporto, and Liston. The Tagus has 37 passengers, of
whom 4 are first class, 22 second, and 11 deck. On freight
the Delta takes 945 boxes of specie, &c., value £245,198,
for Bombay, viz.,—bar silver, £251,050 ; dollars, £195 ;
sovereigns, £2,500; and gold leaf, watches, &c., £153. The
number of passengers by the Delta is 26 first class and 10
second, among whom are Major Hibbert, for Gibraltar;
Commander Adams, for Aden; Lieutenant and Mrs. C. J.
Chambers, Commander Foulerton, Capt. and Mrs. Curtis,
Capt. Selby, and Staff As-istant-Surgeon Dolan, for Bom-
bay. Among the passengers (16 in all) by the corresponding
Marseilles steamer are Capt. E. It. Bradford, Lieut. J. E.
Mackintosh, Lisut. G. W. Bradford, Capt. J. M. Heath,
Major J. 11. B. Dennis, and Lieut. Sedley, for Bombay.
Lieut. F. W. Rutherford, for Bombay, joins at Alexandria.
The Saxonia, Capt. Ehlers, leaves for New York on Wed-
nesday next with mails and passengers; the Atrato, Capt.
Woolley, on Thursday, with the West India, Pacific, and
Mexican mails; the Pera, Capt. Jamieson, on Saturday,
with the Calcutta and China mails; and the Dane, Capt.
Hoffman, on the sth inst., for Ascension, St. Helena, and
the Cape of Good Hope. The Shannon, Capt. Abbott, is
due here on Sunday, but expected to arrive hourly, with
the West India, Mexican, and Pacific mails ; the Alham-
bra, Capt. Steward, on Tuesday, with mails from Lisbon,
Oporto, and Vigo; the Norman, Capt. Boxer, on 'Wednes-
day, with the Cape of Good Hope mails ; the Hansa, Capt.
Von Santem, on Thursday, with mails from New York of
the 21st inst. ; the Ceylon, Capt. Evans, on Saturday, but
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expected a day or two earlier, with the East India and
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