The Sun.
London, England, 1868-12-22 00:00:00

THE AMERICAN POET IN FLORENCE.

The Daily News Florence correspondent describes the
requiem to Rossini which took place at Florence, on
December 14. He does not seem to be altogether pleased
with it; but he describes an interesting incident which took
place at the close of the service. "As I left the church,
and whilst still standing on the flight of steps before
descending into the Santa Croce square, my attention was
arrested by the singularly engaging and intellectual coun-
tenance of one who had likewise been present to hear the
Requiem. A gentleman, perhaps some sixty years of age,
with silvery locks and beard, accompanied by a lady, a
youth, and two young girls, was gazing from the topmost
step on the crowd in the square as it flowed
onwards past the statue of Dante. Whilst
watching with curiosity the human stream before
him, he was himself an object of keen, undisguised,
yet respectful interest to a party of young Anglo-Italian
girls only a few steps off. I could overhear one saying
to the rest, lam sure it must be he, lie is so like
the prints.' At length one of the young girls drew
near to the lady accompanying the silver-haired
stranger, and said, Pray excuse the liberty, but is
not that Mr. Longfellow ?" To be sure it is,'
was the reply. Oh, lam so happy to have seen him,'
was the instant and spontaneous exclamation ; that
really is a treat ; that is worth a great deal more
than the Requiem.' The young Anglo-Italian then
retreated to join her own party, but her remarks had
been communicated both to the American poet and to
the two girls whom he was holding by the hand, and
with a charming frankness they all came forward
and spoke a few words of natural and simple courtesy ;
there was also a kind shake of the hand—facts which I
have little doubt will, throughout the whole lives of those
to whom they were addressed, lend a sweeter perfume to
the verse of Evangeline and Hiawatha."

The petition against the sitting Conservative mem
bers for North Leicestershire has been withdrawn.

It is stated that the subscription for the sufferers
by the Hibernia now amounts to £2,000. This sum, how-
ever, is insufficient for the purpose.
The Postmaster-General, in an order issues on
Monday, announces the extension of the money-order sys-
tem to Switzerland.

Arrangements are being made for a grand Volun-
teer review on Durdham Down, near Bristol, next summer,
It will embrace the counties of Gloucester, Somerset, Wilts
Monmouth, and South Wales.

We have the first approach to the Ocean Penny
Post in the announcement issued on Monday as to postage
of newspapers to the United States. On and after January
the Ist the cost of sending to the United States a newspaper
not exceeding four ounces will bo a penny, with ld. for ever
additional weight of four ounce.

By the Board of Trade reports just issued it
appears that the French imports of this year, ending Sept.
30, reach the value of 2,543,501,000 francs, an advance on
last year of over 313,000,000 francs. The exports to the
same date as above quoted amounts in value to 2,080,555,000
francs—a falling off from last year, when the estimated
value on principal articles exported was 2,089,091,000 francs,
and is still worse as compared to 1866, when the total of
exports reached to 2,375,365,000.

Three men, named respectively Morton, Hall, and
Moore, were indicted at the L,,ecls assizes, on Saturday, for
taking part in the riotous proceedings on the day of the elec-
tion in Sheffield. The prisoners, with some thirty others,
went to the Wharneliffe Arms beerhouse and smashed the
furniture, and assaulted and robbed the landlord. The
prisoners asked the jury to believe that they went to the
beerhouse to protect the landlord. The jury were incredu-
lous, and found the prisoners guilty, and they were each
sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment.

At the Leeds Assizes on Saturday the Grand Jury
made a presentment to the judge on the connection existing
between beerhouses and crime. They were of opinion
that the attention of the Legislature should bo called
to this subject without delay, in the hope that some
plan might be devised whereby continuance of existing
beerhouses may be made dependent upon the ascertained '
requirements of each locality, as well as upon the manner
in which they may periodically be reported to have been
conducted.
DANGEROUS FREAK OF A LUNATIC.--The other
day some men in the employent of the Tees Conservancy
Commissioners saw a man named Thomas Bowen enter
the River Tees, opposite Blue House Point, and deliberately
commence to wade across. A boat was put off to take the
man across, and, having been picked up, Bowen declared
that he had been informed by a magistrate that unless he
crossed the Tees three times he would be hanged.
Although he seemed sensible of the danger he incurred in
attempting to cross the river, he preferred the chance of
being drowned to the certainty of the alternative.
The magistrates sitting at the Sheffield Police-
court, on Saturday, de( ided that it is unlawful for a publican
to allow billiat:ds to be played in his house between the
hours of one and eight o'clock in tho morning, even
though the persons taking part in the game aro lodgers.
In the case before them, the defendant was Mr. Peach, of
the White Hart, Waingate, and the fact was not disputed
that at two o'clock the other morning four men were play-
ing at billiards in his house. The defence was that the men
were lodgers, and that consequently it was no more an in-
fringement of the act to allow them to play at billiards than
it would have been had the defendant supplied them with
liquor. The Bench thought otherwise, and fined the de-
fendant.