The Sun.
London, England, 1850-08-24 00:00:00

ITALY.

- - -
The intelligence of the arrest of Archbishop FRAN-
ZONI caused the greatest excitement at Rome. A
Council of Cardinals and Prelates was held, at which
it was determined to excommunicate the King of
SARDINIA, to absolve his subjects from their oath of
allegiance, to lay his kingdom under an interdict, all
of which measures would have been perfectly harm-
less had it not been fir the proposition by which they
were followed, which was that Austria should be
asked to carry them into effect by force, and to march
en army into Piedmont for the purpose of deposing
the KING, putting down the Parliament, and esta-
Wishing a .sacerdotal despotism. Before, however,
these measures were finally, determined on the Car-
dinals received information that PRANZONI was
accused of plotting against the safety of
the State, and that papers likely seriously
to compromise him had been seized by the Govern-
ment ; thereupon thcAe Cardinals who have been the
most assiduous in concocting the reactionary conspi-
racy, and who have been holding secret and treason-
' able communication with the reactionary conspirators
in every country in Europe, became alarmed lest any
of their letters should hare fallen into the hands of the
Piedmontese Government, and determined to abstain
from taking any steps until they should have ascer-
tained how far the Court of Rome may have been
compromised by the correspondence so seized.

THE QUEEN'S RETURN FROM

BELGIUM.

The royal rquadron, under the command of Lord
Adolphus Ftizcfarence, G.C.11., anchored at Dover
last evening, at half-past six o'clock, and at 50 minutes
past seven weighed, and proceeded to Osborne. All
the royal party were well, and most gratified with
their visit to Belgium.

PORTSMOUTH', SATURDAY MORNING, 10 O'CLOCK.

The Royal squadron returned to Portsmouth this
morning ; the Victoria and Albert hey., in sight
about half-past four o'clock, and passed through
Spithead at a few minutes after five, followed by the
sa-
luted by her Majesty's ships Blenheim and Thetis,
Vivid, Fairy, and Black Esgle yachts, and was
yards manned.
The Royal squadron came to an anchor off Osborne.
the former dressed in colours, with
The Queen and Court disembarked at 03borne-pier
at 8.22, and the Royal standard at the Palace de-
noted their arrival there the moment the Royal party
touched the shore.

aryt (fCu t truteigiCeedi
QUICK WoRK.-0a Thursdly afternoon a meeting
was held in this
eoiftyt the Great
the same
eWeevsetneirring
several columns, was printed in The (London) "ieupying
7'irnes, which paper reached
Fridayo
transcribing
a4nosoe afternoon.rbi
ng
paper. A copy of that paper was forwarded by the news-
paper.
itrer t'
duckPr no
n
mail train to Exeter ; the report in question
wasl,
and ,
is
tei publishedahery is
afterth efo
distance the report travelled was upwartiln;
miles;Teti:nee
addition to which the time occupied
shorthand writers' notes must be taken into account, as well
as " setting up" tho type for the two papers.— Bristol
Mirror.
A Chinese fete is said to be in active prepara-
tion at Cremorne, on which occasion the 11
off the Temple Pier are to dine off
junk in
the gallant tars laying
in-
stead of on it, in the river, which they have ugnardens,
for many
months, and by way of further change of diet tot;3l
ese t ial mariners a feast of lanthorns is proposed. celesd-
ay goo
digestion wait on appetite, and health on both."
THE CONVICT HANNAH CURTIS.—RESPITE.
GLOUCESTER, FRIDAY.—Tue execution of Hannah Curtis,
now in Gloucester County Prison under sentence of death for
the murder of her:husband, at Frumpton Cotterelleby poison,
was fixed for to-morrow, and all the awful preparations had
been made. At a late hour last night, however, a Queen's
messenger arrived post-haste from Scotland, where Sir
George Grey is at present sojourning, with a letter contain-
ing a respite of the execution until her Majesty's pleasure
shall be known. The messenger only started from London
on Tuesday last, and had travelled night and day in order
to arrive in time. A consultation was immediately held be-
tween the governor of the gaol, Capt. Mason, and the chaplain,
the Rev. Mr. Herschel], when it was arranged that in conse-
quence of the lateness of the hour it would not be advisable
to disturb the convict, and the announcement of the respite
was accordingly made to the prisoner this day by the chap-
lain, in the presence of the governor. The rev. chaplain in-
troduced the subject in a few fitting remarks, during which
she was greatly agitated, and on the final announcement
being made she swooned away in the cell. Her behaviour
has been since her condemnation anything but what might
be expected from a creature whose hours and minutes were
numbered. She declares her innocence, and although she
joins in religious devotion with the chaplain, she does net
appear fully aware of her awful situation. Her present bus.
band, Curtis, has had frequent intercourse with her, and she
enters freely into conversation with him, giving instructions
as to household matters with the air of a person about to
return shortly to her home.
DESTRUCTIVE FIRE AT TORRINGTON, NORTH
DEvoise—On Tuesday last the handsome little town of Tor-
rington was in great danger of destruction by fire. During
the night a fire broke out on the premises of a Mr. Friend-
ship, ropemaker, which, being fed by a quantity of pitch,
spread rapidly to the adjoining buildings, right and left. Be-
fore the three fire-engines of the town could be got out three
dwelling-houses, a carpenter's workshop, a stable, &c , were
in flames. By the greatest individual exertion the fire was
prevented from destroying a row of small dwellings, which
abutted on one end of the burning mass. These caught fire
at least three times; and, had they taken fire, there is
no doubt that the whole town must have materially suffered.
It was only by cutting a passage through the burning build-
ings, at a very great risk, that the premises on the right
of them were saved. By this very courageous and
ready contrivance the engines were brought to play upon
the rear of the adjoining premises, which had already ignited
on this side. The loss is considerable, and, had it not been
that a very large proportion of the inhabitants turned out
to render assistance and supply the engines with at least three
hogsheads of water per minute from the neighbouring pumps
alone, the consequence might have been mist serious to the
whole town. The three dwelling-houses consumed were the
property of Mr. Adams, of Torrington, and a portion of
the remaining properties the Rev. Mr. Welcome's, of Corn-
wall. We understand that neither the premises nor the
stock,
&c., were insured. Six children of Mr. Friendship
were snatched cut cf their beds while the fire was in their
house, and two womsn had to be dragged through the si le
windows of the abutting heueer escape by the front doors
being impossible.
A PACT FOR WRIST PLAYERF.—The number of
possible t‘ 1 ands'.' at whist, regard being Lad to the trump, is
1,270027,119,200,...EdinbuTh Review.