The Sun.
London, England, 1868-06-24 00:00:00

THIS DAY.

The Parliamentary committee to try the merits
of the petition presented against the return of Mr.
Miles for Bristol was resumed to-day in Room
No. 11.

The case for the sitting member was opened, and
witnesses were called to disprove the statements
made in the opening speech of Mr. Sergeant Bal-
lantine that certain gentlemen on the committee of
Mr. Miles had bribed in a most reckless manner.

Amongst the witnesses cross-examined was Mr.
Britton, a clerk in Miles's bank at Bristol He said,
being a Conservative, he took much interest in the
success of Mr. Miles at the last election, and used
his utmost endeavours to secure his return. He
denied most positively that he had ever given a
voter named Simmond3 money, or that he
had ever promised any. He knew Air. Allsop. He
saw hitn in Miles's St. Paul's committee-room
giving directions and writing: It might be matters
telative to the bringi❑g voters to the poll, but he
could not say for certain. He knew a person named
Walton, but he never told him to fetch
Sitnmouds to him, and he further denied that he
ever offered him a bribe. He would go further than
that, and swear that he had never said one word
about money to him. He admitted seeing him on the
polling day, and asking him how he was going to vote,
and on Simunonds telling him he had not made up his
mind, he replied it was almost time. He did not
intentionally touch his pocket on that occasion.
He positively swore that he neither gave money
nor promised any to a single elector in Bristol at
the last election.

Mr. Alderman Woodward, a vinegar maker in
Bristol, said he was chairman of one of Mr. Miles's
committees, the St. Paul's, at the last election, and
Mr. Allsop was vice-chairman. He knew of tWo
public-houses in his district being engaged in Mr.
Miles's election, but he denied that he ever
gave orders for an unlimited supply of refresh-
ments and breakfasts during the last
election. He never gave a bribe to a single elector
during the contest. Ile knew that he was accused
of having bribed a voter named John Tuffnell and
several other persons, but such an accusation was
decidedly false. He would swear he had never
given money to him or any other person. He
knew Mr. Allsop, and, to the best of his knowledge
and belief, only fair and honourable means were
pursued to secure the return of Mr. Miles. •
Other having
given similar evidence,
the committee
essmwititteneades journed at the usual hour.

NAVAL AND MILITARY IN7ELLIGENCE.

Prince Arthur, who has received a commission as
Lieutenant in the corps of Royal Engineers, arrived
at head-Quarters, Chatham, yesterday, accompanied
by Major 11. C. Elphinstone, C. 8., V.C., for the
professional studies at
purposetheßoyeafl Engineer establishment. his professional
Awaiting the
arrival of his Royal Highness at the Chatham rail-
way station were Major-Gen. Freeman Murray, in
command of the division, and Staff ; Major-Gen.
J. L. A. Simmons, C. 8., director of the Royal En-
gineer officers commanding the
various establishment,battalions
garrison,e together with the
heads of the several Government establishments.
in th
A guard of honour of the Royal Marines Light In-
fantry, numbering 100 men, with the divisional
band and colours, were drawn up in the station-
yard to receive the Prince with the customary
honours. The arrival of his Royal Highness, shortly
before noon, was announced by the firing of a
salute of 21 guns from Fort Amherst by a party of
Royal Marine gunners, the Royal standard being
hoisted at the Government buildings. The Prince,
on leaving the railway station, drove direct to the
head-quarters of the Royal Engineers, Brompton
Barracks, where the whole of the officers and men,
under the command of Col. Fitzroy Somerset, were
drawn up to receive him. After putting on the
uniform of an officer of the Royal Engineers, Prince
Arthur " reported " himself to General Murray,
who afterwards entertained his Royal Highness
and a party of officers at luncheon at Government-
cuse.

The following appointments were made yester-
day at the Admiralty :—Capt. Lord Gilford, to the
Formidable, additional, for service in the Hercules ;
Lieut. Frederick R. Carr and Lieut. Frank E. Hud-
son, to the Hector, additional, for temporary ser-
vice ; Lieut. W. H. G. Nowell, to the Revenge,
additional, for temporary service ; Lieut. Raymond
B. Needham, to the Royal George, additional, for
temporary service ; Lieut. E. Wickham, to the Lap-
wing.

111ARKE7 S-7 HIS DAY.

CORN.

The weather continues broken and overcast, with occa-
sional showers, which aro much wanted.

The general tendency of the trade is steady. The
farmers' supplies have fallen off steadily for three or four
weeks past, and must have caused a proportionate deminu-
tion of stocks of foreign granary.
The country market's reports are generally firm, but
without much activity.
At Mark Lane this morning the attendance was small,
and the trade as usual on Wednesday was quiet.
Barley, beans, and peas, sold in retail on former terms.
Arrivals of oats were liberal, and secondary qualities
rather easier. Fine samples maintain their values.
Foreign wheat was
purchased sparingly , and quotations
remain unchanged.

Floating cargoes of wheat off coast aro held for quite
late rates, but sales are slow, and the number arrived is
increasing, although but slowly.
Flour is unaltered in value. Best qualities aro marked
555. 60s. ; second and country, 50$. 575. per sack.
NEWGATE AND LEADENHALL.
MEAT.—Tho markets were rather firmer at the opening
this morning, and give our quotations for beef and lamb a
higher range, but at the close the top prices were 21.
lower.

COTTON.
LllTndPuolol.L, Juno 24.—Sales probably 7,000 bales:.
Market

The excavations which are being carried on with
great activity just now at Pompeii have brought
to light two very valuable specimens of ancient
art, viz., two fresco portraits situated under a
portico of the Via Stabiana. It is believed they
represented the master and mistress of the house.
The man wears a magistrate's toga ; the woman is
in the attitude of a person reflecting about what she
is to write ; for she has a style in her right hand,
and is about to carry it to her lips, while in her left
she holds writing tablets. Both these portraits are
well executed.

WIIITEBAIT.—It 15 difficult to say what great
mind invented whitebait, but it is not improbable that
Shakspere ate them, and that is a gratifying thing to
reflect upon. Towards Blackwall, just where the river
gets sufficiently impure to feed them, these delicious minia-
ture fish move from April to August. They are men-
tioned as early as 1612, as figuring honourably at
the funeral feast of that wise and benevolent London
hon. This the founder of Charter
H
reign
of James the First, four
y
a tSu thet
hot of ns h
aksp
ere, and the year be-
fore the Globe Theatre was burnt down, the year that
Henry the Eighth was acting, and the year before the
meoearuressnt'before Thomas
the wa s
death
in
New River was completed. Every year these mar-
vellous fish (an unclassified species,
) assemble under the
very windows of the Trafalgar, waiting to be caught,
as it were, and eager to be cooked. There is a rumour
among icthyophagists that those little bits of silver,
disgusted (like some of the corporation of London)
at the great London drainage and modern improve-
ment., talk of not coining up as far as Greenwich much
longer. Among the very few things we still covet in
this mutable world there is one thing. We want to be
a Cabinet Minister. The reader may naturally ask
why. Is it in order to be badgered iu the House by
stultifying and critninating quotations from one's
own bitter speeches ? Is it in order to wear the
ludicrous and uncomfortable 'Windsor uniform, so like
the dress of a stage general or a court footman ? Is it in
order to be talked at, frowned at, snapped at, barked
at, crowed at, brayed at ? Is it in order to be held up
to ridicule in ceaseless caricatures ? Is it in order to
double one's enemies and lose half one's friends? No,
it is in order to enjoy the annual Ministerial fish dinner,
and to get whitebait served in the best style. This
historical dinner originated with a Scotch merchant,
named Preston, who lived at Dagenam Roach, in Essex.
He used to ask William Pitt down there, to rusticate
and drink port wino with Lis favourite, George Rose, the
Secretary of the Treasury. Pitt finding Essex inconve-
nient, the friends then took to meeting at Greenwich, and
in course of time most of the other Tory Ministers
were invited, each paying for himself, but Sir Robert
Preston contributing a buck and the champagne. On Sir
Robert's death Mr. Long (afterwards Lord Farnborough)
officially summoned the guests. Tho thirty-five or forty
guests used originally to drop down the river in a gilt
Ordnance barge.—,Diftes "All the Year Round,,,