The Sun.
London, England, 1850-08-24 00:00:00

ITALY.

- - -
The intelligence of the arrest of Archbishop Flux-
ZONI caused the greatest excitement at Rome. A
Council of Cardinals and Prelates was held, at which
it was determined to excommunicate the King of
SARDINIA, to absolve his subjects from their oath of
allegiance, to lay his kingdom under an interdict, all
of which measures would have been perfectly harm-
less had it not been for the proposition by which they
were followed, which was that Austria should be
asked to carry them into effect by force, and to march
an army into Piedmont for the purpose of deposing
the KING, putting down the Parliament, and esta-
blishing a sacerdotal despotism. Before, however,
these measures were finally determined on the Car-
dinals received information that FRANZONI was
accused of plotting against the safety of
the State,- and that papers likely seriously
to compromise him had been seized by the Govern-
ment ; thereupon those Cardinals who have been the
most assiduous in concocting the reactionary conspi-
racy, and who have been holding secret and treason-
able communication with the reactionary conspirators
in every country in Europe, became alarmed lest any
of their letters should have fallen into the hands of the
Piedmontese Government, and determined to abstain
from taking any steps until they should have ascer-
tained how far the Court of Rome may have been
compromised by the correspondence so seized.

THE QUEEN'S RETURN FROM

BELGIUM.

The royal squadron, under the command of Lord
Adolphus Ftizchsrence, G.C.H., anchored at Dover
last evening, at half-past six o'clock, and at 50 minutes
past seven weighed, and proceeded to Osborne. All
the royal party were well, and most gratified with
their visit to Belgium.

PORTSMOUTH, SATURDAY MORNING, 10 O'CLOCK.

The Royal squadron returned to Portsmouth this
morning ; the Victoria and Albert hove in sight
about half-past four o'clock, and passed through
Spithead at a few minutes after five, followed by the
Vivid, Fairy, and Black Elgle yachts, and was sa-
luted by her Majesty's ships Blenheim and Thetis,
yards the former dressed in colours, with manned.
The Royal squadron came to an anchor off Osborne.
The Queen and Court disembarked at Osborne-pier
at 8.22, and the Royal standard at the Palace de-
noted their arrival there the moment the Royal party
touched the shore.

QUICK `NOBS.—On Thursday afternoon a meeting
of the Great Western Railway Company was held in this
city ; the same evening a report of the proceedings, occupying
several columns, was printed in The Sun (London) news-
paper. A copy of that paper was forwarded by the night
mail train to Deter; the report in
which parer readied
p 1 question was extracted,
7
and published in the TVestern
Bristol shortly after four o'clock on Friday afternoon. The
distance the report travelled was upwards of 400 miles; in
addition to which the time occupied in transcribing the
shorthand writers' notes must be taken into account, as well
as " setting up" the type for the two papers.—Bristol
Mirror.

A Chinese fete is said to be in active prepara-
tion at Cremorne, on which occasion the gallant tars laying
off the Temple Pier are to dine off junk in the gardens, in-
stead of on it, in the river, which they have done for many
months, and by way of further change of diet to these celes-
tial mariners a feast of lanthorns is proposed. " May good
digestion wait on appetite, and health on both."

THE CONVICT HANNAH CURTIS.—RESPIT E.—
GLOUCESTER, FRIDAY.—The execution of Hannah Curtis,
now in Gloucester County Prison under sentence of death for
the murder of her:husband, at Frumpton Cotterell,lby poison,
was fixed for to-morrow, and all the-awful preparations had
been made. At a late hour last night, however, a Queen's
messenger arrived post-haste from Scotland, where Sir
George Grey is at present sojourning, with a letter contain-
ing a respite of the execution until her Majesty's pleasure
shall be known. The messenger only started from London
on Tuesday last, and had travelled night and day in order
to arrive in time. A consultation was immediately held be-
tween the governor of the gaol, Capt. Mason, and the chaplain,
the Rev. Mr. Herschell, when it was arranged that in conse-
quence of the lateness of the hour it would not be advisable
to disturb the convict, and the announcement of the respite
was accordingly made to the prisonerin
this day by the chap-
lain, in the presence of the governor.
troduced the subject in a few fitting remarks, during which
she was greatly agitated, and on the final announcement
being made she swooned away in the cell. Her behaviour
has been since her condemnation anything but what might
be expected from a creature whose hours and minutes were
numbered. She declares her innocence, and although she
joins in religious devotion with the chaplain, she does not
appear fully aware of her awful situation. Her present hus-
band, Curtis, has had frequent intercourse with her, and the
enters freely into conversation with him, giving
instructions
as to household matters with the air of a person about to
return shortly to her home.
DRSTRUCTIVE FIRE AT TORRINGTON, NORTH
Devose—On Tuesday last the handsome little town of Tor-
rington was in great danger of destruction by fire. During
the night a fire broke out on the premises of a Mr. Friend-
ship, ropemaker, which, being fed by a quantity of pitch,
spread rapidly to the adjoining buildings, right and left.
three
Be-
fore the three fire-engines of the town could be got out
dwelling-houses, a carpenter's workshop, a stable, &c , were
in flames. By the greatest individual exertion the fire was
prevented from destroying a row of small dwellings, which
abutted on one end of the burning mass-
These caught fire
at least three times; and, had they taken fire, there is
no doubt that the whole town must have materially suffered.
It was only by cutting a passage through the burnMgebililchl-
ings, at a very great risk, that the prenaises on th g
andt
of them were saved. By this very courageous
ready contrivance the engines were brought to play upon
the rear of the adjoining premises, which bad already ignitel
on this side. The loss is considerable, and, bad it not been
that a very large proportion of the inhabitants turned out
to render assistance and supply the engines with at least three
property of Mr. Adams, of Torrington,
hogsheads of water per minute from the neighbouring pumps
alone, the consequence might have been most serious to the
whole town. The three dwelling-houses consumed were the
the remaining properties the Rev. Mr. Welcome's, of Corn-
of the abutting houses, escape
wall. We understand that neither the premises nor tne
stock, &c., were insured. Six children of Mr. Friendship
were snatched out cf their beds while the fire WAS in their
house, and two women had to be dragged through the side
windows and a portion of
being impossible.
A FACT FOR WHIST PLAYERS.--The Dumber of
possible " bands" at whist, regard being had to tie trump, is
1,270,027,119,200...Edinburg1i11e view! by the front doors