The Sun.
London, England, 1845-11-14 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY

regularly at work, and would employ more if they court
get them.
Ju.reply to questions .
The CHAIRMAN stated that there was no truth in the state-
ment that lately went the round of the papers, relative .to an
improved and more direct line being also constructed by this
company. The Hon. Gentleman declined, however, to state
when any part of the line would, in his opinion, be ready
for opening.

PRESENT TO HER MAJESTY
AND PRINCE ALBERT.-BEAUTIFUL SPE-

CIMEN OF BIRMINGHAM MANUFACTURE.

We were yesterday morning litely invited by Mr. Thomas
Lane, of Great Hampton-street, Birmingham, to call at
Radley's Hotel; fur the purpose of examining some speci-
mens of his new manufacture of pearl enamelled on glass,
which he is about to present, by permission, to her Majesty
and his Royal Highness Prince Albert.
The present to her Majesty consists of a pair of elegant
screens, on which are beautifully painted, on a ground of
pure white, the rose, the shamrock, and the thistle.
A pearl dove is descending with the olive-branch,
over which is the imperial crown. Beneath the emblems
of the United Kingdom appear St. George and the Dragon,
surrounded by illu•ninated foliage. The present to Prince
Albert consists of a magnificent chess-board of glass, ena-
melled with pearl. The squares of this chess- board are
formed of quatrefoils] blazoned in the centre, and on
the principal lines with the lien .and unicorn heads,
in pearl and gold alternately, the remaining squares
having the lion and unicorn rampant alternately in pearl
and gold. In the spaces formed by the quatrefoils appear
the rose, the shamrock, and the thistle, enamelled in mother-
of-pearl upon an azure ground. On the extreme boundaries
of the square appears the Queen, enamelled in pearl, on a
scarlet ground; and the border consists of a series of dol-
phins, in mother -of-pearl, enamelled on a sea-green ground.
The table is set in a most elaborately decorated frame of
papier mache ; and here the immense superiority of the new
invention is at once apparent. The papier mache
frame is perhaps one of the most superbly decorated speci-
mens of the species of manufacture ever exhibited, but it
looks positively dull in comparison with the brilliant effect
produced by the patent enamelled pearl on glass. We con-
sider this invention of Mr. Lane's as one of the most import-
ant improvements in decorative art that has ever been pre-
sented to the public. It is superior in many respects to en-
caustic painting and fresco, inasmuch as it is more brilliant
and more "durable, for the colours are absolutely unfading,
and the glass basis is so strengthened by the process of
inlaying with pearl, which acts as a cement to the glass, that
should the glass by some accident get cracked the inlaying
holds it together. We understand that a beautiful moon-
light scene by Muller has bean copied in the pearl and glass
enamel, the effect of which is most brilliant. Windows of
painted glass might be copied in the pearl and glass enamel
with the most magnificent effect; and as a decoration fur
interiors we think that it only requires to be known to be
most extensively employed.

• T H -H

We yesterday visited the Egyptian Hall, Piccadilly, for the
purpose of seeindthe.Maiiiiiiiiiii Horse," General Washing-
ton," the property of Mr. Carter, the Lion King, who is ex-
hibiting him for a short time previous to taking him across the
Atlantic. The " Mammoth Horse" is unqtiestionably the
largest horse in the world; he stands twenty hands high,
and weighs twenty-five hundred weight. He is of the dray-
horse breed, his colour is jet black, he is stout and well-pro-
portioned ; few horses can show such
.good points as
"General Washington," and his shape is matchlesss ;
in fact he is a perfect -model of proportion. He
is exceedingly docile and good tempered; and most
certainly, as regards size and shape, he is the
most remarkable animal ever seen. In the same room
with him is another horse, a perfect contrast, as exquisitely
modelled, as beautifully proportioned, AS "General Washing..,
ton." " General Tom Thumb," for such is the name of the
Mammoth's companion, is one of the most diminutive of his
species—the smallest of Shetland ponies, but, like all little
creatures, he makes-up in fusSiness what he wants in power,
and is most amusingly fidgetty.