The Sun.
London, England, 1868-01-09 00:00:00

ROYAL rrsn TO LIVERPOOL.

The 'weat'her yesterday was very unfavourable for
unp dei;Onstrations of gaiety. The sun scarcely ever shone
at all, and it was so dull and. misty throughout the greater
portion of the day that the shops and offices in the centre
of the town had to be lighted with gas. Prince Arthur
and Prince Christian left Knowsley Park about ten o'clock,
attended by Earl Vane, the Hon. F. Stanley, M.P., Lord
Barrington, the Earl of Stamford and Warrington, Lord
Walden, Lord Skelmersdale, Lord Elphinstone, and Mr.
Engelhardt, and drove to Liverpool, where they were
met by the Mayor (Mr. E. Whitley), Mr. R. Brocklebank
(chairman of the Mersey Dock Board), Mr. John Laird,
M.P., Mr. Charles Turner, M.P., Mr. Graves, M.P., and
other gentlemen connected w:th the commerce and in
terests of the town. They then proceeded to inspect the
enormous new works at the Waterloo Dock, at the north
end of the town, the various parts of which were explained
by Mr. Lyster, the engineer to the Dock Board. They
next drove to the landing-stage, and during a royal salute,
fired fro, Majesty's ram Viper, embarked on board
the Dock -hoard steam-tender Alert, and sailed up the
river, passing round her Majesty's ship Donegal, which
fired a rod al salute, the Great Eastern steamship,
the school frigate Conway, and the other reformatory
ships anchored in the Sloyne. Having disembarked,
the party proceeded to the Town Hall, where
they were entertained to lunch by the Mayor. After
'Amcheon the Princes and their suite drove to the free
public library, where they met the Princess Christian, the
Princess Henrietta, and a number of ladies from
Knowsley, including the Countess of Derby. The whole
party then paid a visit to St. George's Hall, where Mr.
Best gave a performance on the grand organ. The pro-
gramme, which had been specially arranged for the occa-
sion by the Countess of Derby, was as follows :—Wax
march (" Athalie "), Mendelssohn ; Air, Cujus animam
(" Stabat Mater "), Rossini ; Tema con Variazioni for
the organ ( ". T. Best) ; Fantasia on themes from the
opera of " Dinorah " (Meyerbeer) ; Overture, "Guillaume
Tell," scored for a grand organ by W. T. Best (Rossini).
The performance lasted from about four to five o'clock.
The visitors, on leaving the hall, drove back to Knowsley.
There was very little bunting shown on the river, and
the display of flags in the town, the visit being a private
one, was a!most nil. The Royal standard floated over the
Town Hall, as is customary on the occasion of visits to the
town by members of the Royal Family.
There were two shooting parties on Tuesday, one of
which bagged 980, the other 700 head--Prince Arthur
killing 67.

RETIREMENT OF THE DEAN OF WINCHESTER.- •
The Very Rev. Dr. Gamier, Dean of Winchester, has
announced that he intends to bring his public ministry to
a close. He graduated at Oxford before the commence-
ment of the present century, and, although 92 years of
age, took his share of the services in the cathedral on
Christmas Day. He has been Dean of Winchester
twenty-eigkt years, and for seven years prior to that time
was a canon of the cathedral.

ABSENCE OF CRIME IN KENT.- At the Maid-
stone Winter Sessions the Recorder was presented with a
pair of white kid gloves, therebeing no business. Ile congratu-
lated the county on this, for the court had generally to be
held in Kent when it was not required elsewhere. This
was the first instance in his recollection when no assize
had been held. He hoped that in these troublous and
discontented times good order and peacefulness would
continue.

A SERIOUS MISTAKE.—A shocking accident has
occurred near Alton. A number of gentlemen were
shooting in a cover near Alton, belonging to E. Knight,
Esq:, of Chawton Park. One of the party steadily aimed
at something which in the distance he mistook for a
rabbit, and fired, when a loud cry for assistance was heard,
on which several gentlemen ran to the spot and found a
young man named Spencer, the son of a farmer living in
the neighbourhood, lying on the ground seriously wounded
in both legs, and weltering in blood. A considerable time
elapsed before further help could be rendered, owing to
the distance from the village, and the unfortunate man
was compelled to remain upon the snow-covered ground
to await the arrival of a cart. He was then conveyed
home in a benumbed and exhausted condition and re-
ceived medical attention ; but it is feared that the acci-
dent, combined with the long exposure to frost and snow,
will render his recovery for some time exceedingly doubt-
ful. No less than thirty shots have been extracted from
the legs of the sufferer.

A CAUTION.--The fidelity and caution of the
troops is illustrated by a singular incident which occurred
a few days ago in Belfast. Two soldiers of the 28th were
walking through the town about six o'clock in the even-
ing, when they were accosted by a gentleman, who got
into conversation with them on the subject of the army,
its strength, and details of organisation. They were not
disposed to gratify his curiosity, and resorted to various
expedients for getting civilly away, but he kept close to
them for two hours wherever they went, and offered them
money for drink. At last, sus➢ecting that he wanted to
seduce them from their allegiance, they gave him in charge
to a policeman. When the charge was being entered at
the police-house it was discovered that the gentleman was
a very influential person in Belfast, and a member of Ote
of the public boards, who takes a great interest in military
matters. His name and address were taken, and it was
left optional with the soldiers to prosecute him if they
thought fit—a caution to people of too inquiring a turn of
mind.

SINGULAR ACCIDENT TO A MAIL TRAIN.—On
Tuesday night a singular accident happened to one of the
mail trains running between Edinburgh, &c., and London,
on the Lancaster and Carlisle section of the London and
North-Western Railway. As the train was proceeding at
its usual speed near Oxenholme the tender of the engine,
through some cause, got detached from the van adjoining
and at the head of the carriages. It being dark at the
time, and as no noise was caused through the severance,
the engine-driver proceeded ahead, and it was not until a
distance of six or seven miles had been traversed that he
became aware cf what had happened—namely, that he
had left the train. As soon as this state of affairs became
known, the driver reversed his engine, the train was
reached, and, after being recoupled, the journey was con-
tinued. The mail was about an hour and a quarter late
at Preston. No personal injury was sustained through
the mishap. Some time ago a similar accident, attended
with rather serious consequences, occurred between Rugby
and London.
SCENE IN AN IRISH COURT OF JUSTICE. —A
very unusual scene has occurred in the Antrim Quarter
Sessions Court, presided over by Mr. Otway, Q.C. The
jury having handed in a verdict of acquittal in a case of
common assault, the judge, addressing the foreman,
asked, " What's that you say ?" Foreman : " There were
discrepancies in the evidence which—" His worship :
" Tut, tut, nonsense ! You may retire ! Stop ! (open-
ing a law book) I don't know how to deal with that
verdict ;itis a perverse verdict." The foreman observed
that they had found discrepancies in the evidence; when
the judge again remarked that he had power—there
was no question of it—to order a jury to reconsider and
amend their verdict, when, through the mistaking of evi-
dence or partiality, it was repugnant:to justice. He did not
know whether he would exercise that nower or not. He would
allow the verdict to be recorded, but he had never received
a verdict from a jury with which he wag so thoroughly
dissatisfied. (To the accused.) " Stand up, sir. The
jury --I can hardly call them so—the twelve men who were
sworn to try your case—have acquitted you. I do not
believe a more guilty man ever stood in the dock than you.
However, I will take the verdict—a verdict which may
have done more to hinder the administration of justice in
this court, and limit the value of its jurisdiction, than any
verdict that was ever given. I have told you that I will
take the verdict, believing you—notwithstanding that the
jury have acquitted you—as guilty a man as ever stood in
that dock. You are discharged, I believe the verdict to
be partial, perverse, and repugnant to justice. (To the
jury) : Go away, gentlemen. You certainly never shall
be on a jury again, if I can help it." The jurymen seemed
much astonished.

SPARE THE LITTLE BIRDS. —An enthusiastic
German naturalist, Dr. H. Linck, publishes in a Stutt.
gart paper a pathetic appeal on behalf of the small birds,
which, he says, are now perishing by thousands of cold
and hunger. " Human beings "—so begins the appeal—
"be merciful and grateful ! . . . You have perhaps
no suspicion of the state of the birds at this moment.
But I know, both from a long intimate acquaintance with
the animal world, and from observations that I am now
making, that days like - the present, when a slow.
silent, increasing snow-fall buries the earth and it.;
produce, act like a pestilence on the feathered tribe ;
I find every morning in my garden chaffinches, gold
hammers, tomtits, blackbirds, and robins, dead, starved.
rozen." In the hope of remedying this state of things:
the doctor begs mankind to " throw off its wretched
indolence, if only to order servants to shake the cloth out-
side the window after meals, and to collect the crumbs of
stale bread and the cold potatoes which lie forgotten in
odd corners and cupboards, and scatter them to the birds
after making them digestible by reducing them to a pulp
and mixing the compound with grated carrots." "And
you," adds the dpctor, " proprietors of gardens and fields,
I have read a hundred times what incalculable services the
feathered population render you by the incessant war they
wage against the small but powerful destroyers of your
seed and fruits. Do not hesitate to wade through the
snow to bring them alms and spare their lives. You may
then change your boots with the consciousness of having
1 Dexformed a truly vnd and humane action.".

DEATII OF COUNT ARNIM BOITZEN-

BURG.

(REUTER'S TELEGRAM.)

BERLIN, Jan. 9.
Count Arnim Boitzenburg, formerly Prussian
Minister of State, died at 8 o'clock yesterday morn-
ug at Boitzeuburg after a lengthened illness.