The Sun.
London, England, 1868-06-17 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.

Sir,—Admiral Rous having thought himself jag'
tified in using my name in a letter which he hag
addressed to the Times, I beg you will be gad
enough to permit me to make in reply the follow inn
statement.

I was desired by the Marquis of Hastings (who
dil not intend to be at Epsom on Tuesday before
the Derby) to scratch The Earl for his Derby en-
gagement. Lord Hastings informed me that he WI
de'.ermined upon that course, as Lady Elizabeth had
arrived safely at Epsom, and was to run in the
Derby. In consequence, however, of a conversation
which I bad with the Duke of Beaufort, I did not
i
comply with Lord Hastings' request, but returned
to town for the purpose of representing to him the
conversation which I had with the Duke of Beaufort.
Chat conversation was to the effect that his Grace,
wished Lord Hastings to reconsider his intention or
scratching The Earl, as his doing so would be en;
satisfactory to the public. I faithfully represented
this to Lord Hastings, who, notwithstanding, de:
cided upon scratching the horse. This he himself
did, by writing a letter to Messrs. Weatherby, which
was conveyed to them by Mr. Hill. Shortly after
the letter had been sent, Lord Westmorland came
into Lord Hastings' room, where there were already
Mr. Coventry, Captain Barlow, and some other
gentleman, whose name I do not remember. Before,
leaving the room I mentioned to Lord Westmorland
that I had reported to Lord Hastings the represen-
tation made by the Duke of Beaufort, but with°et
effect, and I added that Lord Hastings had sent n,
letter to Messrs. Weatherby desiring them to scratch
{he Earl. I had no control over or interest is the
horse, and I was no party to his being scratched ;
and Lord Hastings, in the presence of the gentlemen
whose names I have mentioned, accepted the ezehl"
sive responsibility of the act.
In conclusion, I beg moat unhesitatingly to state
that I had not betted one single shilling either on
or against The Earl for his Derby engagement.

I am, sir, your obedient servant,
HENRY PADiviCic•
4, Hill-street, Berkeley-square, June 16.

Mr. A. G. Lawrence, United States Minister t)
Costa Rica, has been deprived of his office for
;ighting a duel near Washington with Baron Kos"
ierow, of the Russi in Legation in the s tme city
At the same time Mr. Seward has recriested t"
Russian Minister to call the attention of his Go-
vernment to the matter, "in order that Baffin
von Kosserow and Count Lothum may in a pro Per
manner be made sensible of its displeasure."
The overseers of Chorlton-upon-Medlock have
decided against the claim to vote at Parliamentary
elections made on behalf of the ladies who ara
householders in that union.
each
Six ladies have already contributed £5O ell
towards Mr. John Stuart Mill's election expense'
as candidate for Westminster.
The Dublin. Protestant Defence Association,
have forwarded to Mr. Disraeli a copy of a vote °I
thanks for his " most earnest and satisfactory ns"
surances that the Protestant Church and Protest'
ant Institutions of Ireland will have the cordi3
and determined support of her Majesty's Go'reru-
,
went." •
The new telegraphic experiments at the Cade
of Chalons Lave proved quite successful. .1"
different commanders of corps are placed in corn"
munication with the General-in-Chief, who trans;
&nits orders to them not alone when the troops 3ro
in quarters or on the march, but when they t',
executing the most rapid and complicated 111°'7el

men's.
The "Monster Tower Drums" were origio3lll
manufactured for the .Great Handel Festiv3';
held in Westminster Abbey, A.D. 1784. fehe:t
were called Tower " drums, owing to the vits,„
hat the heads were made from the skins of tir"
celebrated lions exhibited at the To ffer of London
about that period.
THE ABYssINIAN CAPTIVES.—The
captives (says a letter from near Magdala) cannot be 63-4
to bear many traces of their long confinement. C°Pt3nia
Oameton is sadly broken down, but has mended c°lL-
siderably since his arrival in Camp. In spite of t--6‘
intense and increasing anxiety they -must have- endurahle
during the past month, a few grey hairs seem to be t"
only souvenirs they have brought with them from l'fagt.-
dala. The Germans are, however, takinc, back toF"the
land souvenirs of another kind—beautiful AbYssill-it;
wives aid quivers full of children, the latter as robust%
and noisy as any over whom the brawling Rhine rltr°sitp
its spray. The fact is, they had been living in 1001,3-J,
there, and so far as the cuisine and liqueurs are nnucerj3 he
have reason to regret their being transferred to
British camp. Tej, arrack, and choice wines are 11.;
known here ; the captives could not be treated sv.`
DOt
cigars and cogniac as they had expected, and "
even rum!" showed the surprise they felt on being
00,
that the army had been ;deprived of that beverageLt
Had they asked for a glass of water, the probability is
in nine tents out of ten, they would have been able t°teho
" What, not even water !" for all supplies of tola
necessary have failed ; none can be had nearer t of
the Bashilo, seven miles off. We suffer more frora
of water here than ever we did at Zoula. In point f
all
too, the majority of our new-made friends seem to be to
off, requiring from half a dozen to five-and-tweutYd:o
vants to attend it to the shore ; but probably their ill jog
may be subjected to a little of the fashionable
down which has been practised so piteously and sue
fully upon others.
June 16•'.
THE HOP PLANTATIONS.—Rochester, Roo
The reports which have come to hand from the vasthe
hop-growing districts of Kent all concur in describinf.iro,
hop plantations as looking exceedingly luxuriant ands {env
inising, while the growth of the bine during the Pas, the
weeks has been unprecedentedly rapid. On the wit°o; the
duo is generally free from vermin, but in some few the
:grounds in Mid-Kent a few fly are to be seen. 11)„ Ltl jig
drolunged absence of rain the bine in the more stiutiso for
gives signs of flagging, but generally there is c 3 004
apprehension, the prospects of the planters b2ing at fa fret'
rf the most favourable character. The bine i 9
Sti hag
from vermin, and the few to be seen are Well kept in:ny of
by the fly goldings, which continue plentiful. lu thole
the more forward grounds the plants are throwing °11„
the
lateral shoots, and in some of the strongest grounn"o3l.-
bine is beginning to show burr. From preseutf
30a
ances this year's hop crop promises to be both
abundant. The accounts from the Sussex plantation;aill
loofoakivnegryhperaolmthiysinagndel
seat° of vermin. Some heavy showers are, uwith
statrroangcte,r,wtihthe hop plant'
egiotniscreee :obi;
do-
ull,
much needed. The hop market continues d
dining prices.
' AND VALIIAII'
EXCLUSIVE, 'VERY IMPORTANT, RARE, c
are the properties of Lamplough's Pyretic Saline, u'rioont,
worst headache:., sickness, skin, or biliar/
palatable, and invigorating. Sold by 0,11 Chelnifits*-- -