The Sun.
London, England, 1845-05-12 00:00:00

SUMMARY OF NEWS

AND
Vubltt Optnton.

" Who runs may read."

FOREIGN.
The following is the report presented by the Committee
appointed to examine the Bill relative to the railroad from
Paris to the Belgian frontier, with a branch line to Calais
and Dunkirk :—" The Minister of Public Works is au-
thorised to grant the concession of the lice by public com-
petition, his permission, however, being required to enable
-persons to send in tenders. The maximum of the lease
was fixed by the Government at forty-five years ; this has
been reduced by the Committee to thirty-three years. The
caution money of 30,000,000 f. required by the Government
is fixed at 45,000,000 f. by the Committee, but the latter
calls for the payment of a further sum of 9,000,000 f. within
a fbrtnight after the approval of the adjudication. The
responsibility of the original subscribers, carried by the Bill
to five-tenths of the amount of the shares subscribed for, is
reduced by the Committee to four-fifths."
The Chambers are expected to close their labours this
session earlier than usual. According to the present appear-
ances they will be able to adjourn about the end of June.
The Committee on the Budget has got through its labours,
and the report will be laid before the Chamber on Wednes-
day next.
A Berne journal announces, that en the 6th instant the
Government of that Canton had despatched M. Aubry, a
member of the Grand Council, to solicit a pardon for Dr.
Steiger, who had been condemned by
_the criminal tribunal
of Lucerne to be executed.
The locusts, which had appeared in swarms on different
points of the African coast, showed themselves, for the first
time, near Algiers on the 30th ult. At Khadrah, to the
west of the Fondouk, they devoured all the grass and leaves
of the trees. Several flights alighted early in the morning
of that day near the Maison Carrde, and numbers fell in the
Place Royale • at two o'clock in the afternoon, however, they
had completely vanished. Those insects are yellow, a couple
of inches in length, and maintain themselves and direct their
course in the air as easily as birds.
Mr. Buiwer was to leave Madrid for England on the 13th.
- A letter from Berlin, May 2, in the Nuremberg Cor-
respondent, states that the latest news from St. Petersburgh
announce that towards the end of the month the Emperor
will accompany the Empress as far as Warsaw, whence her
Majesty is to proceed to Berlin to consult the medical men,
and learn what baths she ought to repair to. At a later
period the Emperor is to proceed to Berlin to escort back her
Majesty.
According to a Berlin letter of the 4th, in a Frankfort
journal, the northern powers, finding it impossible to induce
Don Carlos to come to any arrangement with the Spanish
Government, feel disposed to recognize Queen Isabella_
The Franconian Mercury contains a letter from Munich,
May 2, which states that a duel having taken place there
between a Portuguese and an attaché of the French Em-
bassy, about a lady to whom the former was betrothed, the
attaché has been suspended by M. Guizot from his func-
tions, and his passports having been delivered to him, he
had taken his departure from Munich.

COURT-FASHIONABLE.
Lady Charles Wellesley and her infant son are both pro-
gressing as favourably as could be desired.
Viscount Melbourne left his residence in South-street, on
Saturday last, for Brocket Hall, Herts, for the holiday. Vis-
count and Viscountess Jocelyn went to Brocket Hall on
Saturday afternoon, and Lord and Lady Beuvale were to
join the family party there; but his Lordship bad experi-
enced an attack of gout, which obliged him to defer his de-
parture until to-day.
Viscount and Viscountess Palmerston have gone to Broad-
lands, his Lordship's seat, near Romsey, Hants, for the re-
cess.
The Duke of Sutherland, accompanied by the Marquis of
Stafford, has made arrangements to leave Stafford House at
the end of the week for Scotland, with the view of going
over his extensive estates in that country. The Duchess
and family remain in town.
The Duke of Rutland, accompanied by a family party, in-
tends to embark at the close of the ensuing month on his
Grace's usual aquatic excursion, on board the Resolution
schooner-yacht, now lying at Southampton.
The Earl and Countess of Orford and Lady Dorothy Wal-
pole, after a protracted residence at Rome and Naples, re-
turned from the Continent last week. The Noble Earl and
Countess came direct from Rome to England. Lord and
Lady Walpoleovith the Hon. Lady Pellew, are still residing
at Ilome.
The Earl of St. Germans entertained at dinner on Satur-
day the Earl and Countess of Morley, Lord Granville Somer-
set, Sir James and Lady Graham, Lady Georgiana and Miss
Stuart Wortley, the Hon. Colonel, Mrs. and Miss Dawson
Darner, &e.
Sir John Cam Hobhouse had a grand dinner party on
Saturday at his mansion, in Hill-street. The Russian
Minister, the Marquis of Lansdowne, the Marquis of Bread-
albane, Mr. Samuel Rogers, and Mr. Lockhart, were among
the guests of the Right Hon. Baronet.

IVitSCEIMANEOUS.
The Bishop of London on Saturday last consecrated the
new edifice, which has just been erected in Endell-street,
leading from Long. acre into Broad-street, Holborn, &c., by
voluntary contributions, for the purpose of affording the poor
of the surrounding neighbourhood the means of attending
Divine service, &c. The church, which is of plain design,
is in the Gothic style. The interior is fitted up with open
seats, and the ceilings, which are composed of wood, display
portions of the roof. The east and west windows are fitted
with painted glass. The only deviation in the building from ,
modern ecclesiastical architecture, is the erection of galleries,
a mode of accommodation of late scarcely adopted, The
ceremony of consecration was witnessed by several persons,
including many of the class for which the locality is so pro-
verbial. All the sittings will be free.
The grand national archery meeting is to be held this year
at Knavesmire, near York. Upwards of five hundred members
of the principal clubs will compete for the prizes. The meet-
ing will be held on the 25th and 26th of June.
A woman who was incautiously sitting on the bulwark of a
Greenwich steamer yesterday fell backwards into the water
when off St. Katherine's Dock, hut was fortunately rescued
by prompt assistance with a boat-hook.
A rat's nest, containing no fewer than thirty-five ratlings,
was found, last week, in a pig-stye, belonging to John Jack-
son, of Pasture House, Lytham.
Some time since an officer in the Guards laid the odds of
2001. to 300/. with Mr. Bragg, the proprietor of the North
Star Inn, at Slough, that he could not produce a man on
Friday, the 16th of May, who would run twenty miles within
two hours. Mr. Bragg has had four or five celebrated pe-
destrians in training ever since the bet was made, he not
being compelled, according to the articles of the match, to
name the man until he is brought to the post to start. The
celebrated runner known as the North Star will, it is ex-
pected, be the party selected to attempt the feat, which, if
accomplished, will be one of the most extraordinary under-
takings ever attempted. The match will come off in the
immediate neighbourhood of Slough. Betting, at present,
is 5 to 3, and 2 to 1, on time.
Last week the anniversary meeting of the Indigent Blind
Visiting Society, of which her Majesty the Queen Dowager is
ts.troness, was held at the Music-hall, Store-street ; Lord
hobert Grosvenor, Esq. M.P., in the chair. The report read
by the secretary stated, that since the establishment of the
Association 370 aged and destitute blind persons had par-
taken of its benefits, and there were at present on the books
151 who regularly received spiritual instruction and temporal
relief, while several received pensions and bad had lodgings
provided for them. The report having been approved of,
and several motions acknowleding the utility of the Society
carried, thanks were given to the Noble Chairman, and the
meeting separated.
A curious document has just been issued by Parliament, in
relation to the convict establishments at Portsmouth, Chat-
ham, and Woolwich ; and at Bermuda and Gibraltar, where
are stationed the hulks employed for the confinement of
offenders under sentence of transportation. It thence appears
that, during the year ending 31st December last, there were
eleven hulks for this service, six of which are in various home-
ports, four at Bermuda, and one (the Owen Glendower) at
Gibraltar. The expense of th is convict establishment was, dur-
ing the year, 54,686/. ; and the total earnings from the labour
performed by such convicts amounted to no less a sum than
62,195/. Of this amount, 23,0951. were the earnings of con-
victs on the hulks in this country, 30,348/. at Bermuda, and
1,251/. at Gibraltar. On the lit of January, 1844, there
were on board the several hulks 3,550 convicts; arid during
the course of the year there were received in addition 286,
making fa total remaining, on the 31st December last, of
3,160, after deducting 601 who were discharged, and 75 who
died on board the hulks. The numbers were divided in the
following proportion :-2,202 in England, 1,350 in Bermuda,
and 313 in Gibraltar. _ _ _

-.-
On Whitsunday from forty to fifty thousand persons are
supposed to have passed down the Thames from below bridge,
in the various steamers, of which they were nearly 100.

WHITSUNTIDE EXCURSIONS

AND FAIRS.

Yeaterday the morning was ushered in with merry peals
from the church bells, and at an early hour thousands of well-
dressed people were making their way to the numerous
steam-boat piers on the river, and to the terminus of the
Dover and Brighton Railways at London-bridge, for the pur-
pose of escaping the smoky atmogphere of the capital and
enjoying themselves in the country. The cheap excursion
trains on the Dover and Brighton trains carried upwards of
20,000 persons from London at half-fares, which are to be con-
tinued during the holidays. The steamers, of which there
were as many as a hundred in requisition above and below
bridge, came in for a large share of traffic. Before eleven
o'clock thirty steamers left the Watermen's Adelphi pier for
Greenwich, Woolwich, and Gravesend, and also for Putney,
Fulham, Richmond, and other places up the country, and
they were all filled. The Watermen's steamers, a fleet of
thirteen Vessels, carried 27,000 passengers during the day
between Woolwich, Greenwich, and London, and as many
were taken up and down the river in the boats of
the old companies. The boats of the iron and
wooden companies conveyed immense numbers to Vaux-
hall, Battersea, and Chelsea during the day, and
occasionally they were fearfully overcrowded, and some-
times rolled from side to side in a frightful manner.
There were twenty Gravesend steamers in requisition, and
some of them made more than one trip. Between the hours
of eight o'clock in the morning and two in the afternoon
17,000 persons had landed at the Terrace Pier, Town Quay,
the Floating Pier, and the Rosherville landing -place, at
Northfleet. The trains on the Greenwich and Blackwell
Railways were running every quarter of an hour, and the
tea-gardens and other places of resort in the suburbs of the
metropolis were filled with company. The beautiful park at
Greenwich, the favourite resort of the Londoners, presents a
rich and verdant appearance. The late rains have improved
it vastly, and the gay multitude were scattered among the
hills, the dales, and the shaded walks, and the usual diver-
sion of running up and down the far-famed One-tree Hill,
was indulged in by the lads and lasses, who seemed content
with the cheapest amusement. The country in and about
Woolwich, Blackheath, and Shooters' Hill, was thronged
with visitors. The morning was fair and warm, and pro-
mised a favourable day, which promise was not disappointed.
There will be three fairs during the holidays, Greenwich,
Stepney and Wandsworth. The first is on the old spot, and
Richardson's theatre, and Alger's Crown and Anchor booth
are, as usual, the principal attractions. Stepney fair will be
held on two large fields near the Thames Police-office. One
has been laid out by Mr. Pituson, whose theatrical booth is
the principal feature, and opposite to it. are Hylton's and
Wombwell's menageries. The old field has been laid out by
Mr. John Stevens, the celebrated Essex higgler, whose mon-
ster booth, 400 feet long, and 54 feet wide, for music, refresh-
ment,_ 000th, con-
in London. street,
asame dimensions, and va-
and dancing, is placed in a conspicuous situation, and is
surrounded by a fives-court, Clarke's equestrian eir,
Powell's equestAan circus, the large Cricketer'-
13 eeductedket
tb,
ty Tyr.
decoratedN ic k s,n,beolocioft3ht_chj;
:IttatCricketihr,e r s
ritms others.
ex~ihiti". swings, and merry go-rounds -
greati number of minor
n profusion.

DIEPPE, MAY B.—The M
arrivedt agnet steam-packet has
just
rl3 praighton, after a fine passage of seven
ho
)I;4rties of distinction for Paris, among
As a wan on Thurs Jay last was digging in S
wains-
wick Wood, Bath, he fund UaLtshillings of the reigu
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dalt
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