The Sun.
London, England, 1844-04-22 00:00:00

MONDAY APRIL 29, Je44

VISIT of PRINCE ALBERT TO THE
NE W HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT.
On Saturday afternoon, his Royal. Highness
Prince Albert left Gwydyr House, Vt'hitehall, where
the Commissioners of Fine Arts, of which his Royal
Highness is chairman, sits, and proceeded to the new
Houses of Parliament. The Prince was accompanied
by Viscount Palmerston, Lord Colborne, • Mr. Gaily
Knight, Mr. Hallain, and Mr. Wyse, members of the
Commission. Upon his Royal Highness's arrival,
he was. received by Mr. Barry, the architect, and Mr.
Gri
The visit was understood to be a formal one, sug-
gested for the purpose of ascertaining the progress
made in the erection of the new Houses of Legisla-
ture ; and by inspection of-the various compartments
to form an opinion as to which of them were best
suited for the displaying of frescos, statues, sand other
works of art.

His Royal Highness and the other Commissioners
first proceeded to the terrace, and inspected the eleva-
tion of the river front, and the carvings thereon ; after
which they directed their steps to the Victoria Tower,
which is now thirty feet high. Subsequently to
inspecting this tower, the majestic beauty of which
called forth the admiration of the Prince, the party
proceeded up a temporary staircase, erected where
the grand staircase will be, which her Majesty will
ascend on the occasion of the opening of Parliament,
to the guard-room, and from thence to the robing-
room, where Mr. Barry produced his plans, and ex-
plained the different arrangements of that part of the
works. The great point of interest at this portion
of the buildings was the Victoria Gallery, through
which the Queen will pass in procession from the
royal robing-rooms to the House of Lords. This
gallery is to be devoted to the reception of statues and
busts of all the great literary, naval, and military men
of bygone times; and the walls will be covered with
fresco paintings. A considerable time was spent in
this part of the building, and his Royal Highness paid
the most marked attention to the architect's explana-
tions of his future intentions.
The party afterwards directed their attention to the
royal porch or entry to the House of Lords, in which
a temporary scaffolding had been erected, in order
that his Royal Highness and the rest of the Com-
missioners might inspect the interior of the House of
Peers. The stonework and elaborate carving of the
interior exhibited elicited most unqualified expressions
of praise from the Prince and the other Commissioners.
This building nas reached an altitude of sixty feet,
and the main windows on both sides are fixed. It was
explained to his Royal Highness that the lower part
of the walls, to the height of about twenty feet, are
to be lined with enriched carved oak wainscoting, the
upper part of the walls being coated with a peculiarly
beautiful freestone from Caen, in Normandy, having
enriched corbels, supporting niches, in which are to
be placed marble statues of the Kings and Queens of
England.
It was stated that the greater part of the works of
the new House of Peers were of sufficient height to
receive the roof, which, we understand, is composed
of wrought and cast iron, and is in a state of great
forwardness. It will be covered with cast iron gal-
vinised plates.
The Prince and his party next inspected the lobby,
which is even in a more forward state than the House
itself, the whole of it being embellished with carvings
in stone of the richest description, and it will be
finished without plaster or cement of any kind being
used.
The central hall was the succeeding object of at-
traction. This hall intervenes between the two
Houses of Parliament, and will be made the venti-
lator for the entire building, by means of a tower,
300 feet in height, which will be above the ascent of
smoke, and consequently will furnish fresh and pure
air throughout the entire erection.
The party proceeded from the central hall to the
front building, intended for the Parliamentary li-
braries and Committee-rooms, the public halls of
which were minutely inspected. -In one of the halls
a considerable preparation had been made for the re-
ception of works of art, the walls being lined with
stone filled with niches, and ready to receive statues.
The Prince and his party did not visit the other
parts of the building, including the House of Com-
mons, clock tower, &c,; but it was explained to
his Royal Highness that this portion of the works
was also in a state of great forwardness, and most
parts were from eighteen to twenty feet high. It was
also stated there were 700 men constantly at work.
His Royal Highness and the other CommisSioners
subsequently visited the model rooms, which are
under the direction of Messrs. Thomas and Dighton.
After inspecting models of the interior of the House
of Lords, they proceeded to Mr. Barry's offices,
where the details and drawings were laid before the
Prince, and explained by the architect.
His Royal Highness Prince Albert and the other
Commissioners, at a quarter past six o'clock, took
their leave, having been on the premises for two
hours and a quarter. The Prince, before leaving,
expressed his extreme gratification at the great pro-
gress made in the erection of the Houses of Parlia-
ment, and said it far exceeded his most sanguine ex-
pectations.

THE THREE-.AND-A-1-IALF PER CENTS.—As far as
Great Britain is concerned the result of the con-
version plan, as proposed by Mr. Goulburn, is
this:—The dissents to the reduction of the Re-
duced Three-and-a-Half per Cents., and of the
New Three-and-a-Half per Cents. (representing
a capital of 240,000,0001.), are most 'certainly under
100,000/. The assents to the plan, as respects the
Three-and-a-Half per Cents. of 1818, have not yet been
officially stated; but we can state from the most authen-
tic sources, that a very small amount of this stock, at
the termination of the usual hours of daily business, re-
mained unassented. It is, in fact, considered more than
probable that, taking the domestic as well as the foreign
holders of the Three•and-a-Half per Cent. Annuities,
which in the aggregate represents 250,000,0001., the
Treasury will not have to provide for money payments
to objectors to an amount exceeding one
a
tnillion:sterling; it may be, that not one half of this sum
will be ultimately required.—Observer. quarter of
FIELD DAY ON WORMWOOD SCRUBS.—Yesterday
the Royal Horse Guards (Blue) had a field-day on Worm-
wood Scrubs. The regiment left their barracks at Knights-
bridge, shortly after nine o'clock. and proceeded, headed by
their splendid band, through Hyde-park, Kensington High.
street, Church-lane, into the lixbridge-road, and from thence
up Wood-lane to the Scrubs. The extreme fineness of the
day induced numbers of persons to follow them to the
ground. The regiment, after going through various ma-
noeuvres and evolutions, left the ground about half-past
twelve o'clock.

FOLKESTONE ----We continue to receive numerous
visitors from Dover daily by the railway. In fact, the
Dover people are our best customers ; and on the part
of our townsmen, we, as true friends to Folkestone, bet
to thank them for their change. The Boulogne passage
continues about the same as usual' in point of numbers ;
and the passengers also continue to " come like shadows,
so depart." By the latter visitors the bona fide traders
of Folkestone are in no way benefitted if Messrs. Baxen-
dale, Van ine, and Co.,*are.— Dover Chronicle.
A DEAD CHILD DISCOVERED.—OH Monday after-
noon last an in
quest was held at the Police Station-house,
Blanket- row, before Mr John Thorney, coroner, on the
body of a male infant, name unknown. Police-constable
Raspin Cherry
(N 0.93) stated that on Sunday morning,
about a quarter before six o'clock, as he was proceeding
past the High Church Burying-ground on his way to the
station-house, he observed a small box lying under the
wall, which he tookiip and carried to the station; on open-
ing it, it was found to contain the body of a male child,
wrapped up in a piece of new white cotton. Mr. George
Ross surgeon, deposed that he had examined the body,
which was that of a. full. grown male child, and in his
opinion had been born ten or fourteen days. No medi-
cal gentlemen had been called in at its birth. In conse-
quence of the decomposed state of the body, he was un-
able to say whether it had been alive ar not ; but he was
satisfied it had never breathed. There were marks on
the right side of the face and head, and small particles of
sand attached thereto. He had opened the head, but
found no internal marks.. Inspector Tacey stated that no
clue had as yet been obtaine d relative to the unnatural
parent. Verdict—" Found dead."
DEAL.—The atmosphere was on Tuesday so rarified
that Calais was plainly discernible with the naked eye.
The vessels could be seen leaving the harbour without
---
the aid of a glass. Dover Chronicle.
MONUMENT TO LORD HOLLAND.—Having heard
a desire expressed to know what was being done towards
carrying into effect the object of the subscription for
erecting a testimonial to the memory of the late Lord
Holland, we have made inquiries on the subject, and are
happy in being enabled to state the distinguished states-
man, Lord John Russell, more immediately and so
appropriately charged with the execution of the wishes
of the subscribers, has allowed of no unnecessary delay.
The site for the testimonial to Lord Holland, one of the most
enlightened, honest, single-minded of British statesmen,
has already been fixed upon in Westminster Abbey. But
in order that it may be placed then the removal of three
existing monuments will be ncci*sary, and it is indis-
pensable that the convenience of the persons interested
in these monuments should be attended to. The delay
hitherto in carrying out the objects of the subscription
has been occasioned by these circumstances. As soon as
the site can be definitively arranged full notice will be
given to artists to send in designs for the Holland Tes-
timonial, for it was most properly considered that until
the locality was clearly defined the nature of the testi-
monial could not be well determined on.—Observer.
CHARTIST CONVENTION IN MANCHESTER.—The
Chartists have been holding a Convention in this town
during the present week, but their proceedings have not
excited the least interest. The Convention consists of
(so-called) delegates from various parts of the kingdom,
amongst whom, we believe, are. Mr. Feargus O'Connor,
the proprietor, and Mr. Joshua Hob Son, the publisher,
of the Northern Star. The proceedings commenced on
Monday, in Carpenters' Ilnll ; since then the delegates
have sat each day in the same place, and weperceive that
several of their number are announced to address a
public meeting in Stevenson's-square, this evening.
Apropos, the placard calling the meeting is headed,
" Down with the Tories I" which seems to indicate that
the Chartists intend to commence what in their phraseo-
logy would be called "a new move." The immediate
object of the ConventiOn is understood to ba to concoct
some plan to resuscitate fallen Chartism, but the discus-
sions which have hitherto taken place are spoken of as
having been unusually languid and inane.—Manchester
-Guardian. ,

LITERATURE.

BEARN AND THE PYRENEES, 2 Vols.

Bentley. London, 1844.
The author of these amusing volumes of tPavels is
Miss Costello, to whom the public is already indebted
for many graphic sketches of French scenery and
manners. Though no very shrewd or profound ob-
server, and seldom piercing below the surface of
things, Miss Costello seldom fails to excite the inte-
rest of her readers, for her manner of handling her
subject is attractive; she is quick to detect light and
piquant points of character, and
-says whatever she has
to say in the easiest and most good-humoured spirit
possible. There is little—if anything—in her present
volumes that will be new to the reader; the ground
she goes over has been trodden at least a. hundred
times already, still, we find her a most entertaining
companion ; and common-place as it but too often is,
never weary of her easy, unassuming gossip. The
second volume of the work before us is the most en-
tertaining, because there the authoress is more minute
and spirited in her descriptions, and conducts us to
the watering-places among the Pyrenees—a theme
not yet quite exhausted. We quote her account of
a visit which she paid to Jasmin, a barber-poet, who
resides in a small town in Gascony, and, as it seems,
has acquired great celebrity for his poetical genius
throughout France. In his diverting vanity and '
simplicity Of manner, Jasmin reminds us somewhat
of the late James Hogg, the Ettrick Shepherd :
" He caught up two copies of his book, from a pile
lying on the table, and making us sit close to him, he
pointed out the French translation on one side, which
he told us to follow while he read in Gascon. He began
in a rich soft voice, and as he advanced, the surprise of
Hamlet on hearing the player-king recite the disasters
of Hecuba, was but a type of ours, to find ourselves
carried away by the spell of his enthusiasm. His eyes
swam in tears • he became pale and red; he trembled;
he recovered himself; his face was now joyous, now ex-
tilting, gay, jocose; in fact, he was twenty actors in
one; he rang the changes from Rachel to Bout* and he
finished by delighting us, besides beguiling us of our
tears, and overwhelming us with astonishment.
"He would have been a treasure on the stage; for he
is still, though his first youth is past, remarkably good•
looking and striking; with black, sparkling eyes of in-
tense expression; a fine ruddy complexion; a counte-
nance of wondrous mobility; a good figure; and action
full of fire and grace; he has handsome hands, which
he uses with infinite effect; and, on the whole, he is the
best actor of the kind I ever saw. I could now quite
understand what a troubadour or jongleur might be, and
I look upon Jasmin as a revived specimen of that ex-
tinct race. Such as he is might have been Gaucelm
Faidit, of Avignon, the friend of Coeur de Lion, who
lamented the death. of the hero in such moving strains;
such might have been Bernard de Ventadour, who sang
the praises of Queen Elinore's beauty; such Geoffrey
Rudel, of Blaye, on his own Garonne; such the wild
Vidal: certain it is, that none of these troubadours of
old could more move, by their singing or reciting, than
Jasmin, in whom all their long-smothered fire and tra-
ditional magic seems re-illumined.
" We found we had stayed hours instead of minutes
with the poet; but he would not hear of any apology—
only regretted that his voice was so out of tune, in con-
sequence of a violent cold, under which he was really
labouring, and hoped to see us again. He told us our
countrywomen of Pau had laden him with hindness and
attention, and spoke with such enthusiasm of the
beauty of certain misses,' that I feared his little wife
would feel somewhat piqued; but, on the contrary, she
stood by, smiling and happy, and enjoying the stories
of his triumphs. I remarked that he had restored the
poetry of the troubadours; asked him if he knew their
songs, and said he was worthy to stand at their head.
I am, indeed, a troubadour,' said he with energy; but
I am far beyond them all; they were but beginners;
they never composed a poem like my Franconnete !
There are no poets in France now—there cannot be;
the language does not admit of it; where is the fire,
the spirit, the expression, the tenderness, the force of
the Gascon? French is but the ladder to reach to the
first floor of Gascon—how can you get up to a height
except by a ladder!' "

ARTHUR O'LEARY. 3 Vols. Colburn, London, 1844.
We incline to consider this work if not the best, at
least among the best, that its author has yet put
forth. The first four or five chapters are somewhat
languid—as we mentioned at the time when they
first appeared successively in the pages of the Dublin
University Magazine but afterwards the work
greatly improves in interest; the action becomes more
animated; the incidents exhibit more vigour and
novelty ; and the characters, which are numerous,
are consistently maintained to the close. In truth,
Mr. Lever could scarcely pen a dull, insipid narra-
tive, even if he were to attempt it. Redeeming
touches of vivacity, humour, and description would
be sure to be peeping out every now and then; and
no efforts could repress those buoyant animal spirits
in which, as a novelist, he abounds to overflowing.
As a painter of battles, sieges, and all the pomp and i
pageantry of war, he is on paper what Cooper is on
canvas ; and as far surpasses Gleig and the
writers of that sleepy, common-place school,
as the meridian blaze of the sun surpasses
the feeble lustre of a rushlight. In his present
work, Mr. Lever gives an account of the wan-
derings of Arthur O'Leary—a restless, mercurial,
high-spirited Irishman—and of the numerous adven-
tures and vicissitudes that befel him in the course of
his travels. This' enables the author to introduce a
variety of sketches of out-of-the-way characters, such
as those who are constantly on the tramp are apt to come
in contact with; and among others, he gives a portrait
of a French veteran officer, who was with Napoleon
on the fatal day at Leipsic, which is drawn with much
force and feeling, though it be little more than an
outline. But decidedly the most stirring episode in
the volumes, is the one entitled " O'Kelly's Story,"
which is full of the wildest adventures, bordering,
however, it must be confessed, here and there, a little
on the improbable. We quote O'Kelly's account of
tie capture by the French of a crazy transport-ship,
in which he was embarked with his regiment, on their
way to America :
" We were staggering along under light canvas, when
the look-out-a-head announced a light on the weather-
bow ; it was evidently coming towards us, and scarce
half a mile distant ; we had 'no more than time to hang
out a lantern in the tops, and put up the helm, when a
large ship, whose sides rose several feet above our own,
swept by as, and so close that her yard-arms actually
touched our rigging as she yawed over in the sea. A
muttered thanksgiving for our escape, for such it was,
broke from every lip ; and hardly was it uttered, when
again a voice cried eut, 'here she comes to leeward,'
and sure enough the dark shadow of a large mass
moving at a speed far greater than ours passed under
our lee, while a harsh summons was shouted out to
know who we were, and whither bound. The North-
umberland,' with troops, was the answer ; and before
the words were well out, a banging noise was heard—
the ports of the stranger ship were flung open, a bright
flash, like a line of flame, ran her entire length, and a
raking broadside was poured into us. The old transport
reeled over and trembled like a thing of life,—her shat-
tered sides and torn bulwarks let in the water as she
heeled to the shock, and for an instant, as she bent be-
neath the storm,- I thought she was settling, to go down
by the head. I had little time, however, for thought :
one wild cheer broke from 'the attacking ship—its
answer was the faint, sad cry of the wounded and dying
on our deck. The next moment the grapples were
thrown-into: us, and the vessel was boarded from stem to
stern. The noise of the cannonade, and the voices on
deck, brought all our men from below, who came tum-
bling up the hatches, believing we had struck.
" Then began a scene, such as all I have ever wit-
nessed of carnage and slaughter cannot equal. The
Frenchmen, for such they were, rushed down upon us as
we stood defenceless and unarmed : a deadly roll of
Musketry swept our thick and trembling masses. The
cutlass and the boarding-pike made fearful havoc among
us, and an unresisted slaughter tore along our deck, till
the heaps of dead and dying made the only barrier for
the few remaining.
"A chance word in French, and a sign of masonry,
rescued ple from, the fate of my comrades, and my only
injury was a slight sabre. wound in the fore .arm, which
I received in warding off a cut intended for my bead
The carnage lasted scarce fifteen minutes ; but in that
time, of all 'the crew that manned our craft-L-what
between those who leaped overboard in wild despair, and
those who fell 'beneath fire and steel—scarce twenty
remained, appalled and trembling, the only ones rescued
from this horrible slaughter. A sudden cry of she's
sinking 1' burst from the strange ship, and in a moment
the Frenchmen clambered up their bulwarks, the grap-
ples were cast off, the dark mass darted onwards on, her
course, and we drifted away to leeward—a moving
sepulchre ! As the clouds flew past, the moon shone
out, and threw a pale sickly light on the scene of
slaughter, where the dead and dying lay in indiscrimi-
nate heaps together—so frightful a spectacle never did
eye rest upon I"

NOUVEAU MELANGE. Bally, London, 1844.
This is a useful elementary work, compiled with
skill and method, and well adapted for beginners in the
French language. The extracts from
.the works of
the best French writers, which are given at the close
of the volume, independently of the purity of their
style, possess just the sort of interest that is likely. to
attract the attention of the young reader, and the
principal idiomatic expressions in vogue among our
continental neighbours, have the advantage of an al-
phabetical arrangement, and are explained in terse and
lucid terms. 'The compilter of this servicble school-
book is a French gentleman, named De leaa Voie.

THE PROGRESSES OF HER MAJESTY.
Wakeman, London, 1844.
We have here, in one neat quarto volume, bound
in blue cloth, an account of the various progresses
of her Majesty and Prince Albert, last year, in
France, Belgium, and 11(Hand. This account is
drawn up -in a most circumstantial manner, and is
illustrated with a variety of appropriate embellish-
ments, the best of which are those which pourtray the
different incidents that took place during the Royal
visit to Louis Philippe at the phateau d'Eu—the acci-
dent to the French Royal Family at Treport, the fete
champetre in the forest of Eu, the preparations for the
departure of the Queen, &c.

WESTERN, AFRICA.
Rouiston and Stoneman. London, 1844.
In . this tersely and perspicuously-written little
volume, we find a sketch, full of interest; of the his-

Jory.and present condition: of the 'Christian missions
in Western Africa, where our missionaries, it appears,
have long been exerting themselves with uncommon
ardour, but hitherto, unfortunately, with a 'succes's by
no means commensurate with their zeal, so numerous
and powerful are the obstacles which stand in the way
of the diffusion of the Gospel in this benighted quar-
ter of the world. Mr. East, however, ' offers . some
suggestions for the diminishing.. of these obstacles,
which are well worthy the serious consideration of
those who are taking an interest in the spiritual, as
well as in the temporal. welfare. of the oppressed and
despised African, inasmuch a 3 they evidently proceed
from one .who is thoroughly conversant.with the sub-
ject which he undertakes to discuss.. In addition to
his curious and, we, may add, painful, details respect•
ing the moral and. religious state of the tens of thou-
sands of human beings .whO vegetate—for they can
scarcely be said to live—in the vast districts of
Western and Central Africa, our author. furnishes us
with a pidure•of the horrors of slavery and the slave-
trade, which it is quite sickening to contemplate, so
minutely and is such vivid, but, we fear, not exagge-
rated colours is the dreadful subject pourtrayed. Not,
less painful is his account of the general condition of
women in Western Africa—especially those of the
inferior classes—who are sold by their parenti in
marriage to the highest bidder, and treated by their
demoralised husbands • with the grossest and most
wanton cruelty. Mr. East has judiciously condensed
nearly all the striking facts bearing on the subject of
the social state in Africa, whiCh have been accumu-
lated by travellers and missionaries for years past;
and the result is a volume abounding in useful—we
wish we could add encouraging—information. We
subjoin a Passage or two as a specimen of the author's
manner : ••

" Africa is under the domiriion of the most savage
despotism. Eien its free men are, in most cases, little
niore than the vassals of their rulers—and, in some,
altogether at the disposal of their merciless tyranny.
Africa is a land of slaves. Three individuals out of
every four are slaves; and, in some places, not more than
one in seventy are free. Africa trades, both within its
own borders and with foreign nations, in the flesh and
blood of its, own• population, and is hourly bleeding under
the infliction of this most inhuman traffic. Polygamy is
universal in Africa. The great monopolise the female
portion of the population—the inferior classes are left
without any domestic associate—prostitution is legalised
by public authority, to meet the exigency which this un-
just and wicked monopoly has created—and the blackest
crimes, consequent upon such a state of things, are
shamelessly committed. The condition of woman in
Africa is most abject and degraded. Without a pro-
perty in herself, at any stage of her existence, she is sold
by her parents in marriage to the highest bidder, from
henceforth living only for the gratification of her tyran-
nical and capricious lord, who rules her as his slave, im-
posing upon her the most menial offices, and, in some in-
stances, deriving, in licentious indolence, his own sup-
port from the labour of her hands. In a word, as the
social condition of Africa is the lowest and most wretched,
so every crime which has polluted other parts of the
heathen world, is perpetrated in it. Nor is this picture
much relieved by the view which has been taken of
African agriculture, manufactures, and commerce.
" The supeistitions of Africa not only sanction and
tend to perpetuate this state of things, but add a
thousand-fold to the depth of her degradation and the
amount of her calamity. Here Mohammedanism and
Paganism divide the spoil. Islamism exists in its worst
of forms. For the sake of gaining an ascendancy, it
associates itself with the superstition of Paganism ; and,
with the exception of abolishing human sacrifices, so far
from reforming any existing evil, it countenances and
gives permanency to some of the most horrid features of
African society."