The Sun.
London, England, 1861-02-28 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SlR,—Can you say why a man is punished for defacing
the coin in this country, and is only a wise enterprising
capitalist who sends the coin to be melted down abroad.
Yours very truly,
Feb. 27. AN ENQUIRER.

The Emperor of Austria has just conferred the
great gold medal for Science and Art upon M. Pauer, a
gentleman well known and highly esteemed in the musical
world.

The Liverpool, New York, and Philadelphia
Company's steamer Etna, which sailed to-day for New
York, took 250,000 dols. in specie.
FIRE AND Loss OF SEVEN LIVES IN CORK.—
A telegram from Cork yesterday states that a fire broke
out that morning on the premises of Mr. Long, publican,
42, Old George-street. Seven of the inmates were burned
to death. An explosion of gas was supposed to be the
origin of the fire.

We learn from the Bombay Gazette that an action
for libel in the Supreme Court of Bombay is about to be
instituted against the publisher of the " Vesnuv Punch," a
Gujrati journal, by a Mr. Gunputram, a Brahmin who
lately married a widow of his own caste. By doing so he
incurred the indignation of many of his countrymen, and
was subject to constant annoyance from them. The
" Vesnuv Punch" became the vehicle of this abuse.

The last letters from New York express strong
apprehensions that the Morrill Tariff Bill will bc carried
in Congress. "If such should be the case," it is observed
in a letter of one of the leading merchants, " it will nearly
stop all imports from England, France, and Germany, and,
as a matter of course, those countries will have to frateznise
with the South, notwithstanding its slave institutions."
The latest return of the New York banks shows
the total of gold to be £7,000,000, or rather more than
double the amount usual in ordinary times.
"ESSAYS AND REviEws."—A writer in a con-
temporary says :—Dr. Jelf has moved Convocation to con-
demn "Essays and Reviews" on the ground that they
have been quoted, as the doctor says, by certain Atheists at
Leeds in support of their opinions. lam afraid that, if
this argument be a good one, it will bear hard upon
Psalms and Deuteronomy, which are quoted by the Devil
himself in the fourth chapter of St. Matthew.

THE BALLOT SOCIETY.—The weekly meeting
of the Executive Committee was held on Tuesday at the
offices, 5, Guildhall Chambers—Lieutenant-Col. Dickson,
in the chair. Mr. Bontems, Mr. Whitehurst, Mr. Syden-
ham Nodes, Mr. Elt, Mr. Le Maitre, Rev. W. 11. Bonner,
Colonel French, Mr. M. E. Marsden, Mr. R. A. Marsden
Mr. Donald Nicoll, Mr. Man, &c., attended. Several sub-
scriptions were reported, including James Ross, Carlisle,
£5 (accompanied with a strong expression of gratitude to
the Executive Committee), the Earl De Grey and Ripon,
£3 3s. Lieutenant-Col. Townsend Wilson, £1 ls. and other
smaller sums. The question when Mr. Berkeley's motion
could be most effectively brought forward occupied the
attention of the committee, and it appearing that after
Easter would be the most convenient time to a large num-
ber of the Parliamentary friends of the question, it was
resolved to solicit Mr. Berkeley to postpone his motion
until after Easter, but to bring it forward as soon after the re-
cess as possible. It-was resolved earnestly to support Mr.
Duncombe's motion, that the elections in Gloucester and
Wakefield shall for a certain period be taken by the ballot.
This motion it is expected will be made on Tuesday,
March 12. The preparations for the soiree at the London
Coffee House, on Wednesday evening, 6th March, also
engaged the attention of the Committee.

A WOII,IIIY WORKING MINISTER.—The _Banff-
shire Journal notices a work of a novel character, entitled
" A Brief Outline of the History of Christianity in Scot land
from its Introduction to A.D. 1690," by the Rev. John
Christie, minister of Kildrummy. The narrative is a plain
and simple one, carefully put together ; but the more notice.-
able feature in it is, that the pastor of Kildrummy may lay
claim to the production as being entirely and peculiarly his
own. lie compiled it, wrote it, set it up, " imposed" it, to
use technical phraseology, printed it himself at his own
press, and had it circulated among his parishioners
after be had delivered it from the pulpit. The typography
a not perhaps such as would satisfy a fastidious printer,
and his stock of material does not seem to be such as would
induce a large number of customers were he in a public way;
but, in the circumstances, it is marvellous for accuracy and
artistic get up. Mr. Christie regularly on Sundays has dis-
tributed in his church pews a printed list of the psalms to
be sung, the text he is to preach from, and the heads of the
sermon.. Are we not therefore entitled to designate Mr. C.
as a,wortby working minister? Truly his hearers have
advantages,