The Sun.
London, England, 1861-05-22 00:00:00

THIS DAY.

The splendid Floral Hall erected by Mr. Gye,
adjoining the Royal Italian Opera-house, was
thrown open to the public this morning as a flower
market.
Down the centre of the hall a double row of ris-
ing platforms have been placed, each of which is
filled by a distinct species of plant, while the cen-
tre is occupied by an enormous circular table filled
with mignionette and purple stocks. The effect is
exceedingly pretty. No doubt the Hall will be-
come a favourite resort of the ladies. One very
good arrangement needs special mention, viz., the
price of the plants—and that very cheap, too—is
affixed to each table, so that a very great source of,
inconvenience has been entirely done away with.
Around the hall stalls have been erected for the sale
of cut flowers, flower-stands, vases, trellis work, and
other ornamental articles.

The attendance of the public was exceedingly
numerous, and the arrangements made were ad-
mirable,

PRINCESS'S THEATRE.

A new drama entitled " Truth and Fiction" was
produced here last night with success. The inte-
rest of the piece rests on the fact that a certain
estimable sister Margaret Seymour (Miss Carlotta
Leclercq) has become an actress in order to provide
for a much younger sister who is left dependent
upon her. This sister Rose (Miss Maria Harris),
she keeps in perfect ignorance of her profession,
quite retired at a pretty country cottage, under the
dominion of her aunt, Mrs Walters. The idea of
the piece is by no means novel, but it is worksd up
in a very admiraLle manner by Miss Leclercq,
Miss Harris, Frank Matthews, and Widdicombe.
The piece has been put on the stage in a very
tasteful manner.

We regret to learn that Lord Brougham is at
present indisposed. His lordship had arranged to take part
in the meeting of the` Yorkshire Union of Mechanics' In-
stitutes to be held at Scarborough this day, but he will be
prevented from doing so owing to his indisposition.—Daily
News.—[We earnestly trust we may be enabled very
shortly to announce the complete restoration to health of
the venerable and illustrious ex-Chancellor.—En. Sun.]
HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE COMPANY OF SINGERS
—lt now appears by official announcements that the com-
pany of her Majesty's Theatre will perform at the Lyceum,
and not, as we were led to believe, at the old Opera House
in the Haymarket. The season will commence in the first
week in June.

CRYSTAL PALACE.—The Whitsuntide festivities
attracted 15,706 persons to the palace yesterday; they will
be continued this day and to-morrow, when they will be
brought to a close. The fourth opera concert of this season
will be given on Friday; and Mr. G. W. Martin's Na-
tional Choral Society will perform a selection of glees and
part songs on Saturday.

PUBLIC ACCOMMODATION—An opposition steamer,
the " Lord of the Isles," has been put on the passage be
tween Southampton and Cowes, and the old boats have in
consequence doubled the number of passages. There are
now twelve to and twelve from Southampton to Cowes
daily, and the distance is done in fifty minutes I

THE OUTRAM TESTIMONIAL.--Nearly £5,000
have been subscribed in aid of the memorial which it is pro-
posed to erect in recognition of the great public services and
eminent character of Lieut. General Sir James Outram,
K.C.B. It is the intention of the committee (consisting of
Sir George Pollock, G.C.8., Lord Keane, Sir J. M'Neill,
G.C.8., Sir J. Elphinstone, M.P., Sir M. Farquhar, M P.,
and other gentlemen), to make arrangements for the erec-
tion of a statue of Sir J. Outram, near that of his illustrious
comrade, Sir Henry Havelock, in Trafalgar-square, and also
for the erection of a memorial in India.

NOTICE OF BLOCKADE.—LIVERPOOL, May 18.—
Extract of communication received from his Excellency
Juan de Francesco Monteux, Minister Plenipotentiary from
the Republic of New Granada to the Governments of
France and England, by the Consul of New Granada, at
Liverpool :—" It will be convenient for the Consulate to
give notice to owners of vessels, shippers, and underwriters
at that port to New Granada, that in virtue of a decree
issued by competent authorities of New Granada the fol-
lowing ports are temporarily closed for import and export
trade—viz., Rio Hache, Santa Martha, Savanella, Cartha-
gene, and Zapote ; that in accordance with the Customs'
regulations, parties attempting to violate these prohibitory
laws are liable to be fined and the goods seized, and that the
commanders of vessels of war belonging to the Confedera-
tion have received orders to cruise before the said ports to
enforce orders."

A STEAM GUN.—A gentleman who has seen the
steam gun at Baltimore furnishes the following description
of it :—" It is on four wheels; the boiler is like that of an
ordinary steam fire-engine, the cylinder being upright.
There is but one barrel, which is of steel, on a pivot, and
otherwise is like an ordinary musket barrel. It is fed or
loaded through a hopper entering the barrel directly over
the pivot. The barrel has a rotary motion, and performs
the circumference by machinery attached, at the rate of
about 1,600 times a minute. The balls are let into the bar-
rel through a valve at will, and every time the barrel comes
round to a certain point, another valve, self-operating, lets
cut a ball, which is propelled solely by the velocity of the
barrel in revolving. It will discharge a two-ounce ball
300 times a minute. The range is accurate up and down,
but the balls are liable to hit wide of the mark on ono side or
the other. The barrel revolves inside of a drum made of
boiler iron, between five and six feet in circumference, with
an opening. where the balls are discharged. Its range is
not over 100 yards at best, and the gun c in he worked so as
to discharge in any direction. The whole thing wcii2,11.3 6,700
pounds, and is about the size of a steam fire-engine. It is
the opinion of our informant that the gun does net warrant
the expectations of the inventor."—New Fork Paper.

STRANGE DEATH AT BURTON-ON-TRENT.—EarIy
on Friday morning Joseph Greaves, of Winshill, a man in
the employ of Messrs. Bass and Co., and who on Tuesday
last appeared as complainant in a somewhat remarkable
police case, was found dead in a ditch, midway between
Burton and Winshill. When discovered a penholder was
found literally rammed under his chin and completely buried
in his throat, and a pair of spectacles was also found in his
band, and his chest was bruised and much discoloured. A
letter was found in his pocket addressed to his wife and
brother, asking them to pray for him and forgive him,
stating that in consequence of some unpleasantness at his
work he could not live any longer.—Stay'ordshire Ad-
vertiser.