The Sun.
London, England, 1868-04-16 00:00:00

THE LATE VOLUNTEER REVIEW.

The following is a copy of a letter received by the
Mayor of Portsmouth from Major-General Lindsay, sind
of the Mayor's reply thereto :--
"Government House, Portsmouth, April 14.

"Dear Sir,—l have much pleasure in expressing to you
how much gratified I am at the success which attended
the arrangements of the municipality under your auspices
upon the occasion of the review yesterday, and also
my obligations to you for carrying out those mea-
sures which I thought essential for the order and
regularity of the assembly and movement of so large a
force as was brought into Portsmouth. Nothing could be
better than the manner in which the marching-pastground
was kept, and the free passage of the troops secured by
the several routes of march to the lines. The arrange-
ments outside the railway station were also well managed,
kid enabled the various corps to proceed to the station of
their destination without a check.—l remain, faithfully
tours;

" JAMES LINDSAY, Major-General.
"The Mayor of Portsmouth."

"Guildhall, Portsmouth, April 14.
"Dear Sir,—l have the honour to acknowledge and
thank yod for the very satisfactory communication just
received. I need hardly assure you that such an expres-
sion of approval will be greatly appreciatea by the inhabi-
tants of this loyal and ancient municipality, all of whom
were extremely desirous to give a hearty and enthusiastic
welcome to the volunteers of. England. Your kind testi-
mony to the efficiency of our arrangements, enabling the
largest gathering of volunteers to march past and reach
the lines uninterruptedly, will be very gratifying to the
committee, and I conceive to the volunteers themselves.
Should the commanding officers be willing on some future
occasion to visit Portsmouth, the committee will be only
too glad of the opportunity to render similar services with,
I have no doubt, equally approved results.—l have the
honour to be, dear sir, very faithfully yours, '
" R. E. DAVIES, Mayor.
"To Major• General Lindsay,
Inspector-General of Reserve Forces."

OBJECTING TO BE EDIICATED.—Artemus Ward's
valet, for whom he provided in his will, declines to enter
college, and has taken his former position as bell-boy in
an hotel.

THE LATE MARQUIS or SALISBURY.—The funeral
of the Marquis of Salisbury is appointed to take place on
Monday afternoon, when the remains of the deceased peer
will be deposited in the family vault in Hatfield Church.
We understand the funeral will be of a very private
character.

AN INDO-EUROPEAN TELEGRAPH. -At last
there is a practical proposal brought before the public for
an Indo-European telegraph under English managem€nt.
The Indo-European Telegraph Company has issued its
prospectus, inviting subscriptions for shares. They pro-
pose to have a nominal share capital of £450,000, in 18,000
shares of £25 each, only 17,000 now to be issued. At the
head of the board of directors appears the name of the
Hon. Robert Grimston, the chairman of the International
Telegraph Company. The object of the company is to
establish and work a direct and independent line of tele-
graphic communication overland between England and
India. The proposed new line will pass from London
through the North Sea, Prussia, Southern Russia, and
Persia, and from thence by the lines of the Indian
Government to India. Exclusive concessions have been
granted by the Prussian, Russian, and Persian Govern-
ments, and transferred to the company ; the concessionaires,
Messrs. Seimens and Halske, having also tendered for the
construction of all necessary works for £400,000. The
land lines are to be constructed with iron posts, except in
Russia, where the abundance of timber makes the use of
it much cheaper. The rate for short messages to India,
which is now £5 is., will be reduced to £2, and the
directors calculate a yearly dividend of 20 per cent. upon
the expenditure of £425,000.
" Radical " writes a conspicuously-printed letter to the
Times to suggest an increase to the income of the Heir
Apparent. He points out the advantages which would
arise from his Royal Highness having a residence in Ire-
land ; but, of course, the question arises as to how it is to
be paid for. The writer reminds us that the con•
stitutional grant from the public revenues to the
Prince of Wales since the accession of the House of
Hanover has always up to the present time
been deemed to be £lOO,OOO per annum, and when
George 11. persuaded his Ministry to cut down the grant
to Frederick Prince of Wales to £50,000 a year, on the
ground of his " undutifully " going into opposition, the
reduction gave rise to a very acrimonious debate in the
House of Commons. The diminished grant was voted, but
it was not found by experience that the Prince laid aside his
opposition tendencies. When the establishment of the present
Prince 'of Wales was settled it was deemed that, as the
revenues of the Duchy of Cornwall had increased from a
few thousands to £50,000 per annum, a grant of similar
amount to that granted to Frederick Prince of Wales
would be sufficient, and our present gracious Prince has
only £50,000 a year of the public money allotted to him.
When the value of money and the expenses of living as
compared with those of a century ago are considered,
together with the increasing demands for representation
made on the present Prince, " Radical " believes that
a Reformed Parliament will cheerfully vote the additional
expenditure required for a constitutional monarch's eldest
'son. The direction of the wind is frequently indicated by
a straw., and there can be little doubt that this letter is put
out as a feeler whereby public opinion may be tested as to
the merits of the suggestion.

COURT-MARTIAL IN ABYSSINIA.—The first court-
martial which appears in the military orders of Sir Robert
Napier, Commander-in-Chief of the Abyssinian Expedi-
tionary Force, was held in February at Sonde, on Captain
Macnaghten, of the 3d Bombay Light Cavalry, who at
Camp t 1 dooda, on the 15th of November last, entered the
tent of Lieutenant C. L. Halbert, of the same corps, then
in arrest, and violently assaulted him, by repeatedly
striking him with a whip. Captain Macnaghten was found
guilty and sentenced to be reprimanded ; Sir Robt. Na-
pier, however, intimating that the prisoner deserved a
severer sentence. Captain Macnaghten was ordered to be
released from arrest Wad to return to his duty.