The Sun.
London, England, 1861-04-05 00:00:00

CANADA.

On the 16th ult. the Governor-General opened
the session of the chamber of the Legislative Coun-
cil at Quebec. His Excellency spoke as follows :
Honourable Gentlemen of the Legislative Council,
Gentlemen of the Legislative Assembly—l congra-
tulate you on the abundance of the harvest with
which Providence has blessed us, and I think I may
express the hope that the commercial prosperity of
Canada is rapidly reviving. In the year 1860 we
have had the honour of welcoming to our shores his
Royal Highness the Prince of Wales. Our gracious
sovereign has acknowledged the loyalty which
greeted her son in this province, and I feel confident
that the grateful remembrance of his visit will
live long, in the hearts of our people. Much has
lately been effected by legislation, and I hope
that the circumstances of the province are such
as to require few important measures to be laid be-
, fore you in this the last session of the present par-
liament. It is a satisfaction to me to see that the
consolidated statutes, both of Upper and Lower
Canada, have been promulgated in an authentic
form; but I must remind you that something yet
remains to be done, and I desire your assistance in
assimilating, as far as possible, the law which
prevails in either section of the province. A mea-
sure will be submitted to you having for its object
the proper administration of bankrupt estates in
Upper Canada. I would earnestly request your care-
ful consideration of so grave a subject. Some changes
are required in our commercial law, and the further
improvement of our prison discipline demands the
establishment at particular places of certain well-
regulated gaols or local penitentiaries. The registra-
tion of j udgments in Upper Canada has been the cause
of expense and delay,and I think you will find it expe-
dient to amend the laws which relate to this matter.
The report of the Commissioner of Crown Lands
will be laid before you. You will see that the
receipts from the department have increased, and
that the greatest efforts have been made to establish
a sound system of immigration and promote the
settlement of our waste lands. My attention has
been directed to the fact that a writ, issued by the
Court of Queen's Bench in England, has been served
in this colony. I have been advised to represent to
her Majesty's Government the expediency of pre-
venting by legislation in Great Britain any possible
conflict of jurisdiction. I will also add that certain
recent legal decisions appear to make it expedient
for you to define by statutory enactment of your
own the nature and extent of the laws and customs
of Pardament as they shall exist in Canada.
Gentlemen of the Legislative Assembly—The
accounts far the year which has just expired will be
laid before you immediately, and I hope you will
have no reason for being dissatisfied with the
results which they present. You will see that the
reception of the Prince of Wales, whilst it was, we
hope, worthy of the province and of its illustrious
guest, was conducted by the Commissioners of
Public Works with a due regard to economy. I
have again to ask at your hands the supplies which
will be required for the service of her most Gracious
Majesty in the current year.
Honourable Gentlemen and Gentlemen,—l have
now only to desire you to give your best considera-
tion to the various subjects on whieh I have
touched, an‘d I offer an earnest prayer that God
will aid your councils, and will bless our people
with his choicest gifts.

ROYAL BOTANIC SOCIETY.

In the large nursery establishments in the neigh-
bourhood of London and elsewhere, many new and
valuable plants are cultivated, and come into
bloom during the months of March and !April, too
early in aie -seam.n f‘, p.--1-:1ati.,...- ....4. 4.1.. e triat-,,ry
metropolitan flower shows. In order to supply an
opportunity for displaying to advantage flowers of
this description the managers of the Royal Botanic
Society have instituted early spring fetes or flower-
shows. The present is the third of these exhibi-
tions, and has proved them to fulfil in a high de-
gree the purposes for which they were undertaken.
One of :these fetes took place on Wednesday, and
the day being fine a large and fashionable com-
pany was present. Not only have the prizes
offered for these early flowers induced the gar-
deners to find out some method of coaxing plants
, to flower early, even without any sunshine, but
I they have stimulated them to raise new varieties.
This was shown by the great variety of hyacinths
exhibited, the distinct kinds now numbering some
hundreds, instead of some dozens, as was the case a
few years back. This result is fully borne out by
the following list of pricee awarded.
NEW PLANTS.—SmaII silver medal to Mr. F.
Fodman, gardener to R. Hudson, Esq., Clapham-
common, for azalea—Flag of Truce. Bronze medal
to Mr. W. Bull, nurseryman, Icing's-road, Chelsea,
for eitherozylon nivium. Bronze medal to Messrs.
Parker and Williams, nurserymen, Holloway, for
statice propinquer. Certificate to Mr. W. Bull,
nurseryman, for amaryllis vittata fol. striata.
First-class certificate of merit to Mr. F. Fodman for
azalea—Lord Elgin; 2d ditto to Mr. W. Bull, for
primula sinensis fimbriata nivea plener; 3d ditto to
Mr. W. Bull, for primula sines sis rubella plener.
SIX STOVE, AND GREENHOUSE PLANTS.--Ist
prize to Messrs. J. and J. Fraser, nurserymen, Ley-
ton, Essex; 2d ditto to Mr. W. Young, gardener to
Capt. R. Barclay, West Hill House, Highgate.
SIX FOLIAGE PLANTS.-ISt prize to Messrs. J.
and J. Fraser, nurserymen; 2d to Messrs W. Cut-
hush and Son, nurserymen, Highgate; 3d to Mr.
W. Young, gardener to Captain Barclay.
TWELVE HYACINTHS.-Ist prize to Messrs W.
Cutbush and Son ; 2d to Mr. W. Paul, nursery-
man, Waltham Cross; 3d to Mr. C. Turner, nur-
seryman, Slough, Bucks.
SIX CINERARIAS —lst prize to Messrs. J. Dob-
son and Son, nurserymen, Isleworth.
SIX AURICTJLAS.—ht prize to Mr. C. Turner,
Slough ; 2d to Mr. J. James, gardener to F. Wat-
son, Esq., Isleworth.
SIX ROSES.-Ist prize to Mr. Turner, Slough.
MISCELLANEOUS.—SmaII silver medal to Messrs.
W. Cutbush and Son, for 50 hyacinths; ditto to
Mr. W. Paul, Waltham Cross, for two boxes of
roses ; ditto to Messrs Parker and Williams, for
imatopbillium miniatum ; bronze medal to Mr. W.
Paul, for collection of hyacinths ; ditto to Messrs.
Paul and Son, nurserymen, Cheshuat, for one box
of roses ; certificate to Mr. J. James, gardener, for
six pansies in pots ; ditto to ditto, for 24 cut pan-
sies ; ditto to Mr. Davidson, gardener to G. Bishop,
Esq , for six gloriniers. First-class certificate of
merit to Mr. C. Turner, for cineraria prairie birch;
ditto to ditto, for cineraria, James Andrews ; ditto
to ditto, for auricula, Rifleman ; ditto to Messrs. F.
and A. Smith, nurserymen, Dulwich, for cineraria,
Queen of Spring. Second class certificate of merit
to ditto for cineraria Antagonist ; ditto to ditto, for
Louise; ditto to ditto, for Rosy Morn ; ditto to Mr.
James, for cineraria, Duchess of Hamilton.

THE BUILDERS' STRIKE.—No definite arrange-
ment has yet been come to relative to the terms offered by
Messrs. Kelk and Lucas. The feeling of a great number
of the men is against accepting the proposition.
INTERNATIONAL COURTESY. half invites
France to take French leave of Rome.—Tunch.
THE REVIEW ON EASTER MONDAY.—The 18th
Middlesex, under the command of Captain Templar, joined
at the Marble -arch at 10.30 a.m., and were battalionized
with the Victorias in the Ist brigade under Major White-
head, taking part in all the proceedings at Wimbledon for
the remainder of the day, and this corps marched on that
dayfui:y 30 miles ; they fell in at half-past 8 o'clock, a.m.,
and were dismissed at half•pa•it 10 p.m., having been 14
hours on their legs.
WELLS CATHEDRAL—The Wz 7ishire .Mirror
says!--Only one marriage has been performed in the
Cathedral for more than 100 years, in consequence of some
ecclesiastical law making it illegal to perform the marriage
ceremony in the Cathedral for this long period. This dis-
ability hax been removed within the last few days, under
the provisions of a recent Act of Parliament, which has
extended to bishops the power to license places for the j
cclebratiou or MArriays.