The Sun.
London, England, 1850-12-27 00:00:00

"Kann.t Du nichts Grossyt fiir die Deinon oder die
Welt thus, thus mit stint'. Trene das Kleins welts Dn
Beruf hest."—German Proverb.
" If you cannot do same mighty service to your own
circle or to the world, do
it'll unostentatious fidelity the
little for which you have a vocation."

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
SIR,--Tbe approach of the Great Exhibition has
quickened the activity, not only of every art and
science, but of all descriptions of human industry and
ingenuity, however irregular or sportive may be their
bent. And, in accordance with the spirit of the motto
which stands at the head of this casual communica-
tion, some of the best known chess-players of England,
and some of the most influential of the devoted patrons
of the subtlest and profoundest of games, have deter-
mined, with the aid of their friends, to make a slight
and recreative contribution towards the universality
of the shows of the forthcoming Exhibition, ritber
than not contribute at all. " Thue mit stiller Treue
das Kleine wuzu Du das Berta hest."
There are many deplrtments in the "sporting
world." Front those whi delizht in the " warlike
exercise" of the Chace to those who devote all their
leisure to the war-ruling exercise of the brains, in
the refined mental palaestra of chess, there is a long
way with many intertneiiate ; the votaries
of chance, of mixed strength and chance, of mixed
skill and chance—until you come to the votaries of pure and unmixed. To the last cal-egory be-
long de admirers of chess, a large and growing
federation, who now possess organs of their own, a
literature of their own ; and who, indeed, in thy
vicissitudes of travel, find themselves more widely
and more effectually welcomed or introduced, than
can be said even of the members of the arch-frater-
nity of Masonry itself.
The chess-players of England may be said, without
unfairness, to occupy at present the foremost place in
this universal brotherhood. Our best player, Mr.
Howard Staunton, has never been defeated by a
foreign adversary; and has' never shrank from
a trial of strength with any great amateur
who would engage him. Though it might
require the skill of an actuary to calcu-
late what are the precise odds in his
his favour against Hydebrandt von der Sasa, yet
some odds would surely be given by any English
votary of chess, in backing him against the profound
German, the most famous player on the continent.
Of course it is to be conceded that a man engaged in
diplomatic duties has not the same leisure which Mr.
Staunton has, for several years, independently devoted -
to chess ; but whatever the reason may be, such is the
general and the confident opinion in England. Not-
withstanding this, as there never has been an en-
counter between the two great players, nor, in truth,
between English players, generally, and foreign
players ; and, as a considerable amount of scepticism
prevails abroad respecting the rank which ought to be
awarded to the English mind in this inexorable gym-
nasium of intellect, our compatriots have determined,
with their well-known gallantry, to challenge all the
world to a great Chess Tournament. It will be such
an event as has never occurred in the annals of chess,
or of any other game. The great prize to
the principal victor will be, if possible, made
large enough to render it worth while to such men as
Der Sasa to enter the lists. It is even contemplated,
if the munificence of the nobility and of the open-
handed English gentry, who are the factors of this
design, furnish the means to contribute towards the
expenses of any very able respondent to the challenge,
who may come in a chivalrous spirit, though at a pe-
cuniary inconvenience to himself.
Long have English chess-players desired to give
such a challenge to the four corners of the compass,
but it seemed beyond realization. The great Exhi-
bition devised by Prince Albert has altered the case.
The challenge has become a feasible thing ; and
accordingly it has gone forth. A committee has been
formed of noblemen and gentlemen, all fond of chess,
most of them eminently skilful, one of them the best
(as it should seem) player in the world, and weekly
sittings are now held at 5, Cavendish-square, to ma-
ture all the details.

Besides the great prize, it is intended to give a
provincial player's prize; a prize for those wbo take
the same odds from the highest class ; and various
minor prizes. It has also been resolved by the com-
mittee that an authentic report (with notes, critical
and explanatory, by Mr. Staunton) of all the games
so be played at the tournament, shall be presented to
every subscriber of one guinea and upwards. The
funds for these objects are fast accumulating.
Though the competition for the prizes will be
thrown open " to all corners," yet, as there must
be some single place of encounter and assembly, it
has been definitively resolved that the play shall take
place at the St. George's Club, Cavendish-square,
among other reasons, for these,—the rooms are among
the finest of the kind in London ; thky are central ;
they are very conveniently situated with respect to
the scene of the Great Exhibition , they are already
engaged for the purpose ; and they alone are suitable
and agreeable to the most influential votaries of chess
in the kingdom.
I am sure, Sir, in the encyclopse lic and poly-
technic character of your sympathies, you will
look with plea.ure on this contemplated addition
to the varieties with which London will be sig-
nalized in the great forthcoming Exhibition. To
play chess well requires temper and many other
moral qualities, invention and many other intellec-
tual attributes. The greatest philosopher of Anglo-
Saxon America wrote a treatise to prove its valuable
tendencies. The greatest philosopher of Germany
declared that it should be called rather a science
than a game. From Frederick the Second back-
wards, the most illustrious statesmen, the mightiest
conquerors, and the greatest men of the east and the
west, have practised it as a lesson, and have studied
it as a system of wild and imaginative mathematics.
Since the day when, during the battle of Angora,
the great Asiatic bent his yellow locks and broad
head over his game of chess, after having given the
orders which broke the power of Bajszet the Second,
all thoughtful and cultivated minds, even to our
own time, have admired and loved this field of signi-
ficant speculation.—l am, Sir, &c.,
Cavendish-square.

M. G. X.

COURT CIRCULAR.
WINDSOR, DEc. 26.
The Queen walked this morning in the Slopes.
The Royal Family took their usual airings.
His Royal Highness Prince Albert went out shoot-
ing this morning, attended by Lord Camoys, Lieut.-
Colonel Hon. C. B. Phipps, Colonel Hui. Charles
Grey, and Colonel Bouverie.
The Royal dinner party at the Castle this evening
included her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent,
Lady Fanny Howard, Baroness de Speth, and Sir
George Couper.
The Queen's private band attend after dinner.
Her Majesty's private band was in attendance in the
Castle on Wednesday evening, and played the fol-
lowing pieces :
Overture, "Le Cheval de Bronze" Auber.
Fantasia
Adagio and Polonaise, " Gruss au das
Vaterland
Adagio and Allegro a la Russe

Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent, at-
tended by Lady Fanny Howard, arrived at her resi-
dence, Clarence House, St. James's, soon after twelve
o'clock yesterday, from Frogmore. Her Royal
Highness left town shortly before three o'clock on her
return to Frogmore.
On Monday and Tuesday in the current week her
Majesty's Royal bounties in Carious sums were issued
to upwards of 1,000 poor and aged persons, under
the supervision of the Lord Bishop of Oxford, Lord
High Almoner, by Joseph Hanby, Esq., Secretary
and Yeoman of the Almonry in Ordinary.
The Judge-Advocate-General had an interview
with Sir George Grey yesterday at the Home office,
Dispatches were received yesterday at the Colonial-
office from the Governors of South and West ♦us-
tralia, the Mauritius, Malta, and Gibraltar, and also
from the Lord High Commissioner of the lonian
Islands.

NEW METHOD Or PAYING IN TRUCK AT WALSALL.
—At the Guildhall, on Wednesday last, before the Mayor
and H. James. Esq., Mr. James Marlow, an ironfounder in
this town, was summoned under the Truck Act, for having,
on the 19th inst., paid to William Nock, one of his work-
men, goods to the amount of Ils. Id. on account of his wages,
instead of the current coin of the realm. Mr. Duignan ap-
peared for the prosecution, on the part of the Society for the
Suppression of the Tommy system ; and Mr. Barnett was
employed for the defence. The evidence disclosed that the
defendant was in the habit of giving cheques, purporting to
be drawn on the Birmingham Banking Company, but it was
said not payable there or at the branch bank in this town,
for certain stalls en account of wages. in reality, the
cheques were to be taken to the shop of the defendant's
son in Peel-street, where tommy to the amount, of the
cheque was given to the persons presenting it. This was
clearly proved in the case of Nock, who had taken a cheque
for the amount, in question, and received tommy in exchange
at the shop alluded to. The bench fined the defendant 51.
ana costs. There were other informations against the de-
fendant, but the hearing of them was postponed.— Woke
haniptori Chronicle.
AN ENGLISH CHILD OF SOUTH AFRICAN PARENTS.
—The birth infant,
the New
aparentsi
Leicester,
are
of Southtook place in
N Saturday, the 21st inst. The f,tlier is of that-. wild race the
of
Africa, a female
Zoolus, of whose barbarous habits so much has recently been
written by African travellers; and the mother was of the
isolated Amapouda. The parents seem much delighted witi
their offspring, and express their intention df naming her
England. In company with a Kafir, they have been live
months in this country, and are attached to, an " African
Exhibition."

ROYAL COLLEGE OF PiIYSICIANS..-At the quar-
terly meeting of the.Comitia Majora, held on Monday, the
23d of December, the following gentlemen, having under-
gone the necessary examinations for a diploma, were ad-
mitted members of the college :—Dr. Roberts, Brook-street;
Dr. Rutherford, Ancram, Valparaiso ; also Dr. Brett, South-
ampton-street, Morni4tor-crescent ; Dr. Sullivan, Chili ;
and Dr. Alexander, ...North Audley-street,.. were admitted
' extra licentiates.