The Sun.
London, England, 1850-04-18 00:00:00

GOVERNESSES' BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION.—The
anniversary dinner in aid of the fnnds of this interesting and
useful charity was yesterday held at the London Tavern,
Bishopsgate-street ; his Royal Highness the Duke of Cam-
bridge (patron) in the chair. In proposing " Prosperity to
the Institution," his Royal Highness stated that it had ex-
isted seven years, in which its original objects had been suc-
cessfully carried out, and an Act of Incorporation by Royal
Charter obtained to perpetuate and consolidate them.
During that period the Ladies' Committee had investigated
775 individual cases; they had received 3,150 applications
front these distressed ladies, and had had the pleasure of
giving aid 1,620 times, with an amount of 3,9861. IBs. 6d. ;
the annuities to the aged had also been steadily increased.
There were now thirty-live ladies receiving regularly a small
but certain income. The provident fund amounts to
58,2861., the saving of 553 ladies, invested in Government
security, to form a provision for their (Id age; whilst no
less than 5,552 ladies bad availed themselves of the regis-
tration, free of expense, of whom no less than 3,009 had
been provided with situations. The asylum for the aged
was, his Royal Highness stated, opened last June; and the
college had greatly tended to raise the holders of its ceititi-
cates in public estimation. The usual toasts were drink in
the course of the evening, Lord Kintore replying to that of
the Houses of Parliament, and. Earl Talbot to that of tne
Army and Navy.
The South London Floricultural Society held yes-
terday their first flower show for the present year at the
Horns Tavern Assembly Rooms, Kennington. The exhibi.
tion consisted principally of auriculas, ciuerarias, azaleas, and
polyanthuses, of which there was a large and excellent collec-
tion for so early a part of the season. A considerable number
''dies and gentlemen visited the exhibition during the
da "arious prizes were awarded, and amongst them a
V
handsome
si,:ser cup, value 5 guineas, was allotted to Mr. W.
Cole, gardener to H. Collier, Esq., of Dartford.
PRECAUTION AGAI:ST FIRE AT WINDSOR CASTLE.
—An engine of 70-horse pov,-er is now being erected on the
River Thames, near Eton Coi.:ege, from which cast-iron
pipes, communicating to a reservoix. at Cranbourne, in the
Great Park, a distance of three miles, are being laid down.
The work will be completed by July neat: The reservoir,
-
which will contain 10,000;000 gallons of water, is connected
with pipes leading to all parts of the Castle. The cost of
this undertaking, which is under the direction of Mr. Simp-
son, of London, will amount to 10,0001.
PUNS.—I have mentioned puns. They are, I believe,
what I have denominated them—the wit of words. They
are exactly the same to words which wit is to ideas, and con-
sist in the sudden discovery of relations in language. A pun,
to be perfect in its kind,should contain two distinct meanings;
the cm common and obvious; the other more remote: and
in the notice which the mind takes of the relation between
these two sets of words, and in the surprise which that rein.
tion excites, the pleasure of a pun consists. Miss Hamilton,
in her book on Education, mentions the instance of a boy so
very neglectful, that he could never be brought to read the
word " patriarchs;" but whenever lie met with it lie always
pronounced it " partridges." A friend of the writer observed
to her, that it could hardly be considered as a mere piece of
negligence, for it appeared to him that the boy, in calling
them partridges, was making game pf the patriarchs. Now
here are two distinct meanings contained in the same phrase:
for to make game of the patriarchs is to laugh at them; or

to make genie of them is, by a very extravagant and laugh-
able sort of ignorance of words, to rank them among phea-
sants, partridges, and other such delicacies, which the law
takes under its protection and calls game : and the whole
pleasure derived from this pun consists in the sudden dis-
covery that two such different meanings are referable to one
form of expression. I have very little to say about puns;
they are in very bad repute, and so they ought to be. The
wit of language is so miserably inferior to the wit of ideas,
that it is very deservedly driven out of good company.
Sometimes, indeed, a pun makes its appearance which seems
for a moment to redeem its species; but we must not be de-
ceived by them : it is a radically bad race of wit. By un-
remitting persecution, it has been at last got under, and
driven into cloisters,—from whence it must never again be
suffered to emerge into the light of the world.— Sydney
Smith.

ASTURIAN MINING COMPANY.—A special meeting
of this company was held on Tuesday afternoon, at the offices
in Austin-friars, Bishopsgate-street, for purposes principally
connected with the proposed re-constitution of the company,
Mr. Charles Cuningham in the chair. Throughout the pro-
ceedings the sense of the meeting seemed in favour of main-
taining the concern until some advantageous arrangement
should be come to; and, after a very long sitting, it was
eventually resolved—" That a loan of 10s. per share be raised,
and that a charge be made upon the works in favour of those
shareholders who contribute towards it ; and if the directors
and liquidators fail in this, that then they may be autho-
rized to boroow 4,000/. upon mortgage of the works, on such
terms as they best can ; but if sufficient funds cannot be ob-
tained within a reasonable time for meeting the liabilities,
the directors may proceed to wind up the affairs of the com-
pany in the Court of Chancery." A vote of thanks to the
chairman concluded the proceedings.

CHINESE NEWSPAPER.—There was yesterday ex-
hibited in the Salle des Conferences of the Assembly a copy
of a new jcnrnal, the Moniteur of .Pekin. It is written in
the Chinese language, and printed with great care on very
fine paper. It appeared in the Chinese capital on the Ist of
January, 1850, and arrived in Europe by the last India
mail. This first number contains, among other Imperial
documents, an ordonnance of the Emperor Tao-Kouang,
forbidding any of hi:, subjects to emigrate to California or
the state of Costa-Rica.-- Guliptani of Tuesday.
PARISH EMIGRATION FROM SOUTHAMFTON.-013
the 11th instant a laige party of emigrants, consisting of
128 persons, proceeded by special train from the Nine Elms
Station of the London and South-Western Railway to
Southampton. They were joined by other parties at Woking,
Basingstoke, and Andover, bringing additions from various
places—from Clodilming, Wallingford, Faringdon, Andover,
&c. ; and were generally of the agricultural class, sent out
by ieir respective parishes, likely to be highly serviceable
in the countries to which they are bound, viz., Canada and
the Western 'States. The South-Western Railway Corp-

pany convey such large parties at five shillings a head. The
emigrants are thus saved the long detention which fre-
quently occurs front contrary winds in the Downs, the risks
of the Uoodwin Sands, and other damages of the Channel, as
well as the evil of loitering for many days about London.

VICTORIA DOCKS.—The Lords of the Admiralty
have given their sanction to the erection of some docks on
the north bank of the river Thames, opposite Woolwich, the

erection of which, it is expected, will prove of bentiit in
cleariug the river and navigation of veaaels now crowding it.
They are to be called " The Victoria Docks."

PUNCH'S HAND-BOOK TO HER
MAJESTY'S THEATRE.
We extract the following admirable jeu d'esprit. It is
illustrated by two spirited wood-cuts from drawings by
Leech ; the first represents one of the popular poses in a
grand pas de deux, and the second gives us a view of the
stage as seen from a box in the grand tier at the commence-
ment of the second act of Don Pasquale. The portraits of
Lablache, Belletti, and Madame Sontag in this last illustra-
tion are admirable :
" While we are on the frontier of the realms of song, we
will furnish some useful information as to the mode of ob-
taining the necessary passport to enter them. It will be
advisable to repair to the office of the Opera Ambassador,
his Super-Excellency Mr. Nugent, who, like other diplomatic
authorities, is the recognised medium for admitting all fit
applicants to an audience. These passports are issued on the
payment of such fees as may be required.
"Though every facility is given to the granting of pass •
ports, there has frequently been much difficulty in r btaining
them, for it is the wise policy of the government of the
realms of song not to permit harmony, which is the very
genius loci, to be disturbed by the admission of greater '
numbers than it is possible to accomoCate.
"As the continent may be reached by different routes, so
are there various modes of arriving at the place of destina-
tion to which we are furnishing a Hand-Book. The best,
but most expensive, course is that which avoids the some-
times rather stormy pit passage through the sea of popula-
tion, which frequently runs with the impetuosity of a torrent,
through the somewhat narrow channel to which it is
obliged to confine itself.
" The roughness of this passage is usually at its height
after Easter, when, front astronomical causes, the stars ex-
ercise an influence on the tide of popularity which flows ra-
pidly in, and there being two opposite currents, caused by
one stream rushing pell-mell from Pall-Mall, and another in
the contrary direction, there is a meeting of both near the
centre of attraction, and it is therefore necessary to erect
barriers or breakwaters to restrain their impetuosity.
" The navigation is often exceedingly difficult, and it is
desirable that all very slender craft should avoid the attempt
to make the Opera pit passage in the height of the season ;
and it is expected that this year will be distinguished by a
Tempest of a very extraordinary character. Experienced
pilots usually steer their course as much as possible through
the centre of the stream, for otherwise there is danger of
being driven out of the regular channel.
" Sometimes a stout-built man-of-war may be seen making
way, with a small light squadron under convoy, but the ex-
periment is hazardous; and though we never saw an in-
stance of one of the weaker vessels having actually slipped
her stays, we have often seen her drifting along with great
danger to her figure-head, and with some of her canvas
carried away from her. There is also the unpleasant neces-
sity of remaining a considerable time in tne offing until the
tide runs in, which it begins to do at about seven or half-
past;. but until then it is desirable to secure a good anchor-
age, which can only be obtained by taking up a station at
an early opportunity. As the craft are generally rigged out
to the best advantage, the rigging is liable to get a little out
of order, and the weaker may often be seen making their
way with a loss of bows, and labouring rather heavily until
they get within the bar, where they are called upon to show
their permits before going into harbour.
" The more distinguished visitors enter by a much easier
route, adopting the well-known pass of the Grand staircase,
which leads to an extensive range of upland, having all the
smoothness of the celebrated tapis vert at Versailles, with an
atmosphere of that refined air, for which even the outskirts of
her Majesty's Theatre are exclusively remarkable. It will
be necessary for visitors to bear in mind, that on entering a
new domain there are usually customs and duties to be ob-
served ; and there are many peculiar customs and duties con-
nected with an entrance into the realms of Opera.
" The Customs regulations are verylrigidly enforced at the
barrier; but notwithstanding the vigilance of the officers on
duty, contraband commodities have occasionally been smug-
gled in, and there have even been cases in which that utterly,
prohibited article, the surtout, has been got across the fron-
tier by surreptitious means, such as pinning up the skirts to
avoid detection on the outskirts. It would occupy too much
space to furnish a list of those objects that are not allowed to
pass; but it may be stated, that any one who wilfully makes
an object of himself by his absurdity of costume will be at
once objected to.
"The law is by this time so well understood that attempts
to violate it are exceedingly rare, but now and then a bold
smuggler will advance towards the frontier with an umbrella
or some other offensive weapon, and render it necessary that
a seizure should be nude; a proceeding which is always con-
ducted with a mixture of gentleness and firmness highly
creditable to the authorities. The article stopped is not for-
feit ed, but is deposited in the hands of the proper officer, who
takes charge of it till the return of the traveller, who is ex-
pected to follow the customary laws by giving a small cus-
tomary fee on the re-delivery of the goods seized as contra-
band. Bonnets are of course prohibited, and, indeed, they
are now seldom brought as far as the frontier, for no one now
takes such a thing into her head, or on to it, when visiting
this locality.
" The only indispensable luggage consists of a binocular
lorgnette, which is essential to a due appreciation of the nu-
merous beauties of the place now about to be entered. By
its aid distant objects are brought near, and though distance
lends enchantment to some views, the scenes we are about to
open to the eye of the traveller in these favoured regions
cannot be brought too near to us. Though we are some-
what precipitating matters, by giving thus early a glimpse
of what is passing within, we avail ourselves of the power of
the opera-glass to advance, or, rather, to bring nearer one of
those interesting tableaux, which perpetually arrest our at-
tention, and the details of which we shall shortly more mi-
nutely go into."