The Sun. — London, England, 1869-02-20 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC 130IIENALS. The Saturday Review, in discussing the debate on the I Address, dwells especially on the promised alteration of the law of rating, and observes that the House of Commons was perhaps more to blame than the embarrassed Minister for its indolent readiness to escape a political difficulty at the expense of a social and economical, convenience. In spite of the sanguine theories of financial reformers, poor people cannot or will not pay direct taxes either to the Imperial or to the parochial collector. The overseers had long since found it worth while to allow the landlords of small tenements a discount for taking the rates upon themselves, and numerous Acts- of Parliament had legalised the practice. The occupiers who have been summoned for non-payment of rates, the parish officers who have obtained distress warrants, and all other parties concerned, except the land lords who have kept up their rents and put the amount of the previous deduction into their pockets, may justly complain of the hasty vote which has cost them so much trouble and loss ; nor was Mr. Disraeli himself forward to protest against the reversal of thoughtless legislation. In deed, the courtesy end moderation of his entire speech suggested an invidious suspicion that he meditated some unusually violent and unscrupulous attack on the C overn ment. Mr. Gladstone, himself the chief patron of the persecuted compound househo'der, generously promised to redress the existing evil with all passible consldciation for the feelings of his-adversaries. There is no reason why the houseowner should not be allowed to pay the rate on behalf of the tenant, with or without deduction. If all parties agree in the wish to escape from a renewal of the iliscussion, a few ambiguous phrases will remove all ground of quarrel. With regard to foreign affairs, it was impossible to say much in the debate or conversation about the Paris Convention, or about the treaty which has perhaps ceased to please Mr. Reverdy Johnson since the Committee of the Senate has almost unanimously refused to ratify it. It will not be worth the while of Parliament to discuss the terms of an abortive arrange. ment ; but it would be well to express the general opinion that Lord Clarendon has gone to the extreme limit of admissible or excusable concession. It may be collected that the Government had no expectation that the Alabama Treaty will be ratified. Even Mr Cowper, who perhaps went out of his way to justify the pugnacity of the Americans, remarked with justice that England, after making every possible concession, is no longer responsible for the con- , tinuance of the quarrel. The debate was necessarily un interesting, because it suited the convenience of the Oppo sition to adjourn any attack upon the Government. For once the speeches of the respective movers and seconders ' were fuller of matter than the more authoritative state ments of the party leaders. Perhaps the best part of Mr. Gladstone's speech was his judicious apology for the post ponement to a future session of measures which, however urgent, would in all probability not have been passed. The Spectator refers to the opening of Parliament and the non-appearance of the Queen at that ceremonial. Some comments have been made, mainly in Tory journals, upon the reluctance of her Majesty to open Parliament in person, but they are a little unfair. It is perfectly clear from the Speech, from Mr. Gladstone's notice of motion, and from the invitation just addressed to Parliament to present the Address as a body, that the Queen is now, as ever, determined to adhere to constitutional principle, and to accept any measure upon which the nation has heartily resolved, even should her own judgment be doubtful of its expediency. There is not the faintest evidence that this is the case in the matter of the Irish Church ; but sup posing it were, her Majesty has still fulfilled, and will fulfil, every duty imposed upon her by the Constitution, has given a cordial welcome to the advisers nominated by the people, and a full assent to the measures they deem imperative for the public good. To ask more, to refuse the Queen the liberty of private judgment secured to the humblest subject, is unjust, and would be unworthy of the Liberal party. They may regret that the Queen still feels unable to remain in London during the session, a practice which immensely facilitates all public business, and which was studiously followed by her predecessor ; but they recognise to the full—and the Spectator, at all events, is no flatterer of Courts—the com pleteness of the reply which has been given to the absurd rumours propagated last year, the equal justice which her Majesty extends to all parties in the State. The John Bull makes some remarks upon the case of Mr. Edwards. Chapters of autobiography are certainly in the ascendant. The example set by Dr. Newman, and followed by the piesent Premier, is likely to have a wide spread effect, and the latest instance we have to record is the portrait of Mr. Edwards, painted by himself at the Bankruptcy Court on Monday last. No doubt had those whose lot was cast in earlier days had similar opportuni ties, history would present a very different aspect. The uncle of the Babes in the Wood, who has been branded with cruelty on an ex parte statement, would prove in a neat little pamplet, published by Mr. Murray at half-a crown, with a cheaper edition for general circulation, that his conduct was dictated by a desire to improve the bota nical knowledge of the children, and to afford to the robins an opportunity of displaying their philanthropy ; while Richard 111. would maintain that he murdered his nephews from motives of pure beneficence, and that any idea of his usurping the crown was out of all bearing on the practical politics of the day. A man's own portrait of himself and that painted of him by his enemies, or even by his friends, differ as widely as the first and second husbands of Hamlet's mother ; and we "look upon that picture and on this" with surprise, mingled, in most cases, with incredulity. This incredulity is indeed the great stumbling-block in the way of self- Apologists. It is most rare for chapters of autobiography to succeed in convincing any other persons than those who read them with a determination to be convinced. There may indeed be exceptions. There may he people who think that Mr. Gladstone has proved conclusively that his views on the Irish Church question were not in the slightest degree affected by the presence of Mr. Disraeli in Downing-street, and so there may be people who will consider that Mr. Edwards has shewn that in all he did he acted the part of a virtuous and discreet official assignee. But this will not be the impression produced upon most minds in either one instance or the other. The Saturday Review finds that history is constantly repeating itself, and that the vaunted progress of our nineteenth century is in reality a copy from the earlier ages of modern civilisation. It is hard to make people be lieve that German and Italian unity are not utterly new things, dreams of speculative politicians, but actual facts which existed long ago, and to which we are now only going back. But anyone who understands the history of the world for the last thousand years knows very well that every step that has been taken towards the unity of Germany or of Italy is not a step towards something new, but really a step back again towards something old. In our own history, above all, every step in advance has been at the same time a step backwards. We have often shewn how our latest constitution is, amidst all external differences, essentially the same as our earliest, how every struggle for right and freedom, from the thirteenth century onwards, has simply been a struggle for recovering something old, often in quite another shape, but still essentially the same amidst all the differences of ail early and a late state of society. Let us take one example out of many, and let us illustrate it by a story from the late general election. A Liberal candidate pro fesses to be a lover of everything old, a hater of every thing new. He denounces the novelties of Toryism, the mere mushroom growth of the last two or three hundred years. Presently he is called on at a dinner to give the toast of " The Bishop and Clergy." He makes the sus picions addition of " Ministers of all Denominations." A clergyman opposite triumphantly asks whether ministers of all denominations were among the old things which he loved. The candidate takes his opportunity, and shews how toleration was the old thing, and intolerance the new; how, in the first days of the gospel in England, a heathen king could give full freedom to the preachers of Chris tianity, and a Christian king could do no kind of harm to those of his people who claire to their old heathendom. In short, if anybody, in Spain or elsewhere, wants a model for a Toleration Act, he cannot do better than turn to Breda, and study the sayings and doings of the first Christian Bret w alda. The Spectator thinks that Mr. Disraeli's cue is to act the leader who is magnanimous in defeat. Now, Mr. Disraeli is evidently shaping his course for compromise. Accordingly, though he ventured to claim for himself, not without just pride, the credit of the great change which has transferred the trial of election petitions to the judges, he thought most . of playing the part of a judicial-minded and even gzinerous opponent. And Mr. Gladstone and Lord Granville were evidently as anxious not to precipitate that inevitable change of attitude on the part of their oppo nents which they no doubt expect. They took the greatest care to do justice to the candour and moderation of their criticisms. They even invited co-operation and help. Mr. Gladstone, conscious of his naturally argumentative tone, warned the - House beforehand that even though he might scent controversial in his answer to Mr. Disraeli's—he would not even call them objections—but "scruples," it inust,not be supposed that he really spoke in any accent of complaint. On the whole, the net meaning of the prologue of .the session was, .we think, this—that the Libe rals have made up their minds to a tough jub, and intend to work at it with a will ; that, in consequence, every earnest conviction is to have free play, but that the utmost caution is intended to be observed in going beyond the necessary conditions of the contest that the Tory leaders wish to keep their course perfectly open for a compromise, and to play the part of magnanimous adversaries ; that the Tory rank and file are as yet without any distinct conception either of what their leaders wish or they themselves intend ; and ,that 'everything, betokens that reserve and modera ticrmon both sides which precedes a sharp campaigß e - The air'is still with the tx.inctatio.A9LiAttic...• NATIONAL EDUCATION. A reputation from the London Church Schoolmasteri Association waited on Friday upon Earl De Grey and Ripon, and the Right Hon. W. E. Forster, M.P., at the Privy Council Office, to present a memorial, praying foi an amendment of the existing code. The deputation was accompanied by Mr. Powell, late M.P. for Cambridge Mr. Chadwick, C.B. ; and Mr. Tufnel, Inspector of Workhouse Schools. The memorial, which repre sented the opinions of upwards of a thousand masters, having been presented, Earl De Grey and Ripon expressed his deep regret that the Government was unable to deal with the great question of education during the present session. There was one question which it was felt would overshadow all others, but though delayed, this interesting and very important subject would not be neglected by the Government. Mr. Chad wick bad instanced the example of France, and spoken of the administrative advantages afforded by the system of that country, but were a Minister of Education to be appointed to-morrow, the measure could not have the same results here as in France, because the educational system of France was simply a State system. On the other hand, we had to consider not only the question of management, bat the interest and feelings of the different religious sections of the community. Ile could say no more at present beyond promising that when the time came for dealing with the question in the form of a bill what the deputation had urged should receive the fullest considera tion. Mr. Furster, adverting to a remark made by one of the deputation, that certificated schoolmasters were shut out from endowed schools, announced that a clause in the bill which he had justintroduced into Parliament provided that no one should be competent to fill the office who did not hold a certificate granted under its provisions, or by the Privy Council. He entertained great sympathy for schoolmasters, and was fully alive to the importance of the great work which they had in hand. He should, therefore, at all times be pleased to accept suggestions from them ; but the deputation appeared to view the ques tion of popular education in a somewhat different way to himself. They were opposed to rating ; but the difficulty to be solved was not the mere management of the existing schools ; there was the larger problem of how to provide schools for those parts of the country which possessed none ; and here the rating question would have to come up. THE LICE'LYSING SYSTEN.-DEPETTATION TO THE HOME SECRETABY. - Yesterday the deputation organised by the Beer nouse Licensing Amendment Association waited upon the Home Secretary. Amongst those present were Colonel Akroyd, M.P., Rev. W. Stanyer, M.A., hon. secretary of the Association, Mr. SAwin - Ibbetson, M.P., Mr. Darnton Lupton, Mr. George Candelet, Rev. Canon Jenkins, M.A., Mr. Taylor, secretary Church of England Temperance Society, Mr. Dale, vice-president of the Church of England Temperance Society, Mr. J. T. Hibbert, M.P., Mr. Jacob Bright, M.P., Mr. T. Baxley, M . P., Mr. E. Baines, M. P., Mr. Gourley, M.P., Mr. Whitwell, M.P., Mr. Candlish, M.P., Mr. Norwood, M.P., Sir Robert Clifton, M.P., Colonel Brise, M.P., Mr. Johnstone, M.P., and Mr. Swan. The deputation was introduced by Colonel Akroyd, who said that the present was one of several deputations which hoped to have the honour of waiting upon the Home Secretary for the purpose of urging an amendment of the existing licensing system, especially by removing the power of granting beer licenses from the hands of the Inland Revenue into those of the magistracy. Colonel Akroyd read a letterfrom the Archbishop of York, deeply approving the objects of the movement urged by the deputation, and referred to statistics to show that the number of cases proceeded against in beerhouscs were much more numerous than in public-houses. In answer to Mr. Bruce, Colonel Akroyd said that the members of the deputation were by no means ready to say that the proposed reform was the most perfect that could be adopted ; but it was the readiest remedy that suggested itself for a great evil. The Rev. W. Stani - er, honorary secretary of the association, Mr. Ibbetson, M.P., Mr. Lufton (who pre sented memorials from Leeds and the neighbourhood, and asserted that the gigantic strides which evil made in that borough was to be traced directly to the many low bcershops which existed), Mr. Baines, M.P., Mr. Candelet, the secretary of the Pro vincial Licensed Victuallers' Defence Association, Canon Jenkins, vice-president of the United Kingdom Alliance, and Mr. Taylor, secretary of the Church of England Tem perance Society, supported the prayer of the deputation. Mr. BRUCE'S reply was exceedingly brief. The Home Secretary said the deputation were aware that Mr. Glad stone had told the House of Commons that there were many subjects of national importance, amongst others that of education, with which the Government were at present unable to deal. The question of the licensing system would, no doubt, have been taken into consideration had her Majesty's Ministers seen any chance of being able to legislate on the matter in an effectual and satisfactory manner. The proposal brought forward by the deputation was one which asked that the power of granting beer-house licences should be vested in the hands of magistrates. It would 1.);.) remembered that Mr. Villiers's committee when it sat recommended that the jurisdiction over licenses should be removed from the magistrates ; end the bill introduced from Liverpool (a bill warmly supported) fell in with this view. The opinions urgedby the deputation should have the best consideration of her Majesty's Ministers ; but without consultation with his colleagues, it was impossible to say how the proposal for this modified legislation would be received. A NEW FORM OF ASSURANCE.—A novel form of mutual life assurance has been proposed among the persons employed in the banking establishments of New York. All may join, irrespective of health or age, and the subscription is to be a dollar. When a member dies the whole of the money in hand is to go to his family, and a new subscription-of a dollar is to be made, to go in like manner to the heirs of the next deceased. The inequality of the benefit, from the fact that the best lives would be taxed to insure the feeble and infirm, would give the plan a charitable rather than an economical character, but in that shape it would, of course, relieve many cases of tem porary distress. COURTS OF ARBITRITION.—A movement is on foot in Leeds to form a Board of Conciliation and Arbitra tion between masters and workmen, similar to that which has been formed at Nottingham. Conferences have been heldunder the auspices of the Leeds Chamber of Commerce, which were attended by members of that body and by members of the Leeds Chambers of Industry and Leeds Trade Council ; and at a meeting of the parties on Wed nesday evening last an interesting discussion resulted in reference to the most practicable plan to form a board in Leeds. There was no difference of opinion as to the beneficial character of such an institution, the only point at issue being the composition of a board most likely to secure the best results. The unanimous feeling of those present seemed to be that it would not be wise to attempt too much at once ; that a general hoard should be first formed, in order that a means should be in existence to arbitrate on any question or dispute that might be referred to it ; while the establishment of boards in each individual trade should be encouraged, as a natural outgrowth of the adoption of the principle in the general board. But as neither side had authority either to propose or decide as to the character or extent of the proposed board, the meeting was adjourned for one month, in order that the representatives of the Chamber of Commerce should lay the matter before the council at its next meeting, and that the Chamber of Industry and the Leeds Trades Council should ascertain the opinion of the different trades , in the town. governor or IN t l h A e s sA Statec H P s E r ir s T o a s S o 'l f A T I E as P s a n ch i s u o se N ti s Charleston, T a ia c k near Boston) has forwarded to M r . Willi am T o. h t e secretary of the Howard Association, London, some interesting reports of the institution (up to 1869), which are well worth the attention of the mat on this side the Atlantic , as proving the reforuaa effects of remunerative prison labour. The Massachu setts Prison contains 533 convicts, under the care of Mr. "Gideon Haynes. - These are confined at night in separate cells; but are employed during the day in silent congre gate labour. The prison foundry occupies 92 of the inmates, whip-making GS, the lamp factory 58, the iron bedstead shop 49, brush-making 32, and so on. The governor reports, financially, as follows :—Total prison expenses in 1868, L'21,798 ; total receipts from prison labour, £27,128 ; receipts from other sources, km) ; clear profit during 1568, £5,529 (27,646 dollars) ; profit during 1867, £4,469. Hence a clear profit of £lO,OOO in cash has accrued to Massachusetts, in two years, from the prison, after paying all costs and sala ries. Mr. Haynes states: ." This result has not been obtained by a. change in the .quantity or quality of food or clothing, or reduction of caws (their number and pay having both been increased), or a relaxation of the discipline, for an examination will show a marked im provement in each department." Yet pecuniary profit is not the primary object, but rather reformation and ' the prevention of crime after leaving the prison ; for, as Mr. Haynes remarks, "It is certainly desirable that the institution should pay its expenses ; but that should be a secondary consideration, and ought not to interfere with the safety of the officers or the reformation of the convicts —matters of more importance than dollars and cents." English sad only earn £2 each, 9r about 11d, per day, - THE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 20, 1E69._ MISCELLANEOUS NEWS. THE HOUSE OP LORDS. The Marquis of Salisbury has evidently no inten tion of being a member of the Upper House and doing nothing. Already he has begun to chafe under the idleness and dulness which have so long marked the Lords. "If the Lords have nothing to do, give them something," he cries to the Government. "If we can't deal with the Irish Church or with party questions at the beginning of the sessions, we can with bankruptcy bills and other matters which do not come under the denomination of Liberal or Conser vative. If we are not so constituted as to be able to legislate, then let us reform ourselves." Lord Salis bury's complaint reminds one strongly of the wail of the frozen-out gardeners, " We've got no work to do." And they don't do it when they have got it, Professor Thorold Rogers says in the Star. Very violently indeed he assails "the ancient and honour able house." The bench of bishops seems to be his special aversion. They have done more, he says, to identify the Church in the minds of the people with ostentatious selfishness and shameless nepotism than any public functionaries in the kingdom, and they have made the clergy to be treated by the people with social courtesy but secret contempt. As to the whole house, the best thing that anybody ever said of it is that it " hinders hasty legislation." This phrase Mr. Rogers unmercifully picks to pieces, and puts down the Lords as a political barrier, for the maintenance of which we have to pay very high indeed. We suffer on its account the monstrous immorality of primogeniture, and all the evils of the land laws. We permit the process of parliamentary representation to be poisoned at its birth, and commit the conduct of public affairs to " men who have " nothing to recommend them but a name. When these men do act rightly and wisely, according to Mr. Rogers, they do so either by chance or by compulsio n . " I rres p ons ibl e l eg i s l a t ors " canno t initiate legislation, and they stop the way of all social improvements whatever. And yet Mr. Rogers adds, for the sake of this house "we have pauperised the peasant, have destroyed the yeoman, are beggaring the farmer, are driving the best of our people in bitter anger to foreign institutions, are crowding the residue into large towns, are substituting an indigent Irishry and a sewage of Continental outcasts for those of our own countrymen who will not live with us." Mr. Rogers exceeds for bitterness Mr. Bright in the stormiest and angriest period of his prm-official career. worst or crimes now tnat we speak or tnem in much tae same way as we would of the most ordinary event. To-day's papers for instance tell of " a singular murder," as though it were some phenomenon natural history, a toad in a stone, or a singing-mouse that they were speaking of. 1 his " singular " murder seems to us only too ordinary in its details. A man was found with his head beaten in, the supposed object of the murderer being the possession of a large sum of money which the murdered man was known to have received just before his death. At this rate we shall, soon come to speak of 4 ' curious," and then of " clever," and then of " interesting " murders. At last we shall come to forget the heinousness of the crime in the skill of the criminal. ureez uovernment aaneres completely to the aecislon of the Conference in a juridical point of view. The note, however, adds that the Zaimis Ministry has assumed a heavy responsibility in accepting the same ; that the dis content is very general in Greece. Lastly, it expresses a hope that Europe will give the new Cabinet credit for the efforts made to maintain peace. The same journal adds that the reply is not accompanied by reserves, for the terms of the Conference did not admit of any. The re-establishment of diplomatic relations between Turkey and Greece will now take place without difficulty, but, as is usual in such cases, the representatives of till two countries will be changed. Letters from Athens throw much light upon the violent agitation which preceded the acceptance of the declaration by the Greek Government. For a long time the young King seems to have been in real danger of losing his throne. He was willing to yield to the Powers ; but he could find no Ministry to help him. According to a letter in the Daats, no sooner was any statesman summoned to the palace than twenty anonymous letters threatened him with immediate assassi nation if he accepted office. This lasted for three days— the entrances to the palace and the legations being care fully watched. Even the King himself and his young Queen were threatened with assassination. The bulk of the people, however, were not answerable for these out rages. There can be no doubt that they were got up by the friends of Bulgaris, the late Prime Minister, and his Cabinet, to prevent the formation of another Ministry, and to favour the policy of aggression upon which they had staked so much. The people fully acknowledged the wisdom of the King's decision, which was, indeed, sup ported by the most tangible of arguments ; the Greeks were in no condition to repel the large Turkish army which was preparing to cross their frontier. But though the Greeks gave way to necessity, they still maintain their right to interfere on behalf of the Christian subjects of the Porte, and will resume that policy as soon as an opportunity may present itself. Bulgaris found no support, not because he was the supporter of a policy adverse to the sentiment of the nation, but because he wished to stake the national existence upon it. The efforts of Bulgaris to compromise his country abroad brought it to the last extremity of misery at home. He packed the Chamber of Deputies, bought the votes of the members, and excluded some of the most influential politicians in the country. The new Ministry will have a series of Herculean labours to perform. Faction governments must come to an end, credit be restored, swarms of robbers exterminated, and agriculture revived. Otherwise, says a correspondent of the Times, " a revolu tion may come like a thief in the night." THE EDUCATION BILL. The Government Education Bill was published yesterday. It is backed with the names of Mr. Forster and Mr. Secretary Bruce. It contains some sixty-four clauses, and deals only with endowed schools. It is divided into two parts, the one refer ring to the reorganisation of these schools, to the position to be taken by the governin g bodies, &c.; and the other to the examinations to be conduct e d in them, to their privileges, &c., and the qualifica tions of the master. The bill occupies some twenty pages of foolscap. 44 TIME, TIIE AVENGER." Twenty-two years ago Mr. John Arthur Roebuck was turned out of his seat by the Low Church party at Bath because he was popularly reported to be an infidel. Instead of him was chosen Lord Ashley, the present Earl of Shaftesbury. Times are changed since then. When the Irish Church Suspen sory Bill came on for discussion in the Lords last year, Lord Shaftesbury_ had little or nothi ng t o say aga i ns t it; but in the Commons Mr. Roebuck delivered a violent tirade against it. A correspondent of the Rock now proposes that Mr. Roebuck's speech shall be reprinted from "Hansard," as one of the best defences for the Irish Church from a political point of view which could be made. Unfortunately Mr. Roebuck weakened the force of his arguments by voting for the very bill he denounced. TIIF rnErmr.:; OF THE CITY OF DUBLIN'. The ancient freemen of the corporation and city of Dublin are so far conservative in their views that they see nothing out of the way in receiving the " usual " gift from the candidate on whom they be stow their suffragls. But the march of modern notions interferes somewhat with their privilege in that respect, and if they do not deign to learn how the world thinks on that question, they arc likely to have all the rest of their privileges taken from them. The Freeinad's .7intrizat, curiously enough, denounces the freemen's franchise as " base, odious, indefensible," and calls loudly for a Royal Commis sion. The issue of this would probably be the sup pression of the freemen altogether. Paupers, and next removed from paupers, are hardly those who should have the franchise, however convenient the arrangement may be as tending to ward off claims from those classes for representation. THE VICTUALLERS PREPARING FOIL BATTLE. The victuallers have formed a DefencebLtreaargtueer, which seems to be of rather an aggressive c In fact, judging from the speeches of its members. chairman of the recent Conference at M its motto should be " Defiance, not Defence," a fair specimen of the rest. He said that " a great deal of tinkering was b e i ng a tt em pt e d w ith th e t ra d e anl ' le i s f ter th i e s of the licensed victuallers at the present time, from one side or another : and, inasmuch as the licensing system was acknowledged on all hands not to be perfect, they must make a bold front, and let the Legislature know, by their presence in Parliament, that the interests of the trade must be consulted previous to any legislation taking place." Ile declared that the origin of all the evils to which the victuallers were now exposed was the power of the Excise to grant licenses to beerhoases, and that if this power were taken away and the magistrates made the only licensing authority, the victuallers would be protected, and ih3 Sabbatarians and the teetotalers would be pacified. The speaker sheaved himself profoundly ignorant of the question he was discussing. Ile did not know that the teetotalers, at all events, distrust the magis trates more than anyoe, and demand that the ques tion of licensing shall lie decided by the ratenforerS. The secretary of the Defence Association gave figures by way of shelving that there may be too much of a good thing—too much beer even, and that something ought to be done to stop the increase of beershops where beer is sold at any hour, day or night, working days or Sundays. There were for instance 23G of such houses in Sheffield alone, not reckoning the grocers and the provision shops. Another speaker lamented that in the Staffordshire colliery districts a man could sit down under the hedgerow and drink beer ad libitum. It was generally agreed that the licensed victuallers were the patterns of society, and that they were most unfairly visited with the sins of those low fellows the beershop men. No doubt the stories about gin palaces where drunken mothers pour liquid fire down their infants' throats are all a delusion. The Pall Mall Gazette declares that before we put clown intemperance we must put down temper ance advocates, because they cannot distinguish between drinking and drunkenness. Unfortunately they are not the only persons who are unable to make this distinction. There are, as we learn from the Alliance News, 450,000 paupers through drink or drunkenness—we and they cannot tell which ; there are 60,000 persons slain every year through drink or drunkenness, 43,000 lunatics through drink or drunkenness, and, say, 130,000 criminals incited to crime through drink or drunkenness. De minimis non curat lex doubtless, only how about this great army ? Surely that is worth the con sideration of the law and of lawgivers, and almost of the Pall Mall Gazette. THREE LORD CHANCELLORS. Mr. M. D. Hill has taken some trouble to expose the inaccuracies in Lord Campbell's "Lives of Lords Brougham and Lyndhurst," especially with regard to Lord Brougham's relations with the Useful Know ledge Society. Lord Campbell affirms that the society became bankrupt owing to the publication, at its own risk, of Lord Brougham's " Political Philosophy." Mr. Hill has obtained full particulars of the affair from the gentleman who was secretary to the society up to the time of its suspension, which was in the year 1846, three years later than the issue of the " Political Philosophy." The society was never bankrupt, and gained rather than lost by the publi cation in question. The reason for the suspension of its operations is easily found in the vast increase in the general publication of good and cheap litera ture adapted to all classes. TUE METROPOLITAN RAILWAY. The most lamentable muddle into which our railways got th roug h p a yi ng di v idends out of their capital, has not restrained the directors of the Metropolitan Railway from entering on the same path. But happily shareholders—some of them at least—are more watchful than they were years ago. So the Metropolitan has been stopped at the outset by an order from Vice-Chancellor James. Tho result of this will be that the shareholders will have to content themselves with 41 per cent. instead of 7. But 4-1 . , with the knowledge that things are going sight, is better than 10 with bankruptcy ahead. TIIE PAYMENT OF JURORS. We are very fond of anomalies. If a jury have a particularly hard case to discuss and settle, and can't get over its difficulties, we shut them up without meat or drink in order that the use of the digestive organs may not impair the activity of the brain. When a special jury has to take a verdict in about two hours they have a guinea for their trouble; when they have to sit day after day to investi g ate some such' particul ar ly d e li ca t e quest i on as that of the convent case, we pay them for their services with the same coin. It may be very inadvis able to pay juries at all, it may be reckoned as part of every man's duty as a citizen to " sit, hear, and decide," when called upon ; but if we do pay a man for his trouble, why do we mock him by giving him a guinea for a fortnight's work P But then that is one of the bulwarks of the British Constitution. ." FAMILIARITY BRERDS CO.NTEATPT." _Dr at /eathaliffexence. We have stat as A YEAR OF DROUGHT. The British Medical Journal publishes an article on " The Year of Drought," which will, we imagine, effectually put a stop to the scheme for bringing the waters of the Cumberland Lakes into London. It appears that while during last summer London was abundantly supplied with water, 106 to 113 million gallons daily being poured into the metropolis, the Lan cashire towns, and even a town closely adjoining the Lakes, were in the utmost distress for want of water. Every kind of device was resorted to by the local authorities to secure a supply of water for even the most urgent purposes of life. On the one hand, the use of water for sanitary purposes was entirely pro hibited. There were no flushings of sewers or urinals ; no washings of streets or courts ; no employment of water baths; and even for trade and manufacturing purposes the supply was reduced to about half. On the other hand, with a view of increasing the supply, the neighbouring rivers were resorted to ; water was purchased from millowners ; old wells that had been abandoned on account of their objectionable quality were again brought into nse ; and in one case the inhabitants gladly received the drainage-water from a colliery. The marvel is that cholera or some other virulent disease did not break out in those towns. Probably the immunity was due to the drainage works which were constructed under the Public Works Act of 1863 ; in other words, Lancashire may have owed its freedom from pestilence to the cotton famine. It would seem almost as if another famine were needed in order to induce the people of Lancashire to con struct suitable waterworks. HoweVer that may be, it is not at all likely that they will consent to see the water of the Lakes carried past their doors to the omnivorous capital. PRACTICAL PRAYERS. The . James Ormiston, who received the rebuke of Archbishop Tait, when Bishop of London, for having made a sham confession to Mr. Mackonochie at St. Alban's, has just succeeded in opening a new church, which was consecrated a few days ago by Bishop Jackson. Mr. Ormiston has printed, for the use of his congregation, a list of subjects which he wishes them to " bear before the throne of grace." The first is against his High Church brethren, and is as follows :—" That during the year 1869 the spirit of the Lord may lift up a standard against the deadly encroachments of Antichrist, the spread of formalism, and the proud pretensions of infi delity." The last is for himself : " That our God would be pleased to send the means of liqui dating the debt on the new church." It will be seen that Mr. Ormiston does not limit the time during which he will be happy to receive subscriptions ; it is only resistance to the " deadly encroachments of Antichrist," &e., which he would confine to the year 1869. THE CHANGE IN THE MUSICAL PITCH. The Hon. Seymour Egerton writes to the Times respecting the adoption of one ri4p l '''" ;--1 =a musical world, and sums up the arguments he has heard for and against the prvosed change. Vocalists would be the gainers by it ; and alti, contralti,. and basses have sh ewn no r epugnance to the idea. Singing-masterg agree with them) while conductors will be thankful for tthiformity. Mr. Egerton; who has no slight experience in this direction, says that only those who have had the direction of from twenty to sixty gentlemen amateurs, each with his own pet A, can know what a relief a "diapason normal" would be. It has been said that the violins will lose brilliancy by the lowered pitch, but Mr. Seymour has b een assure d that they will speak out more richly from being able to carry heavier strings. The flutes, oboes, and their kindred in the French orchestras, cannot be surpassed for tone and finish, and the same may be said of the family of brass instruments. M r . E ger t on holds that the objection of increased exp ense conse quent upon the change of pitch will not be irremediable, and he is extremely anxious that one uniform standard should be agreed upon. THE EXPLORATIONS IN PALESTINE. Mr. Grove has published a letter just received from Lieutenant Warren, who is conducting the ex plorations in Palestine, giving an interesting account of his recent discoveries. lle has succeeded in ex amining a c i s t ern s it ua t e d in the little garden at the i laram Area at Jerusalem, and on getting down into it, and lighting the magnesium wire, he was astonished to find himself in a large substructure, which he at first thought was a church, similar to the cathedral at Cordova. It is 03 feet from north to south, .57 feet from east to west, having nine rec tangular bays, joined by four piers, from which spring arches. In the south wall is a stair case, leading up to the surface:of the Haram, which has been open within memory. Two other openings lead up to other entrances. Lieutenant Warren could not divest himself of the impression that he had got into a church, the vaults were so unlike any known tanks in Jerusalem. lie found it impossible to believe that such a structure was built merely for a tank. - Some large s t ones were found huddled together at the bottom of the water, which the di scoverer s think are evidence of the roof having fallen in and been replaced. Further details of this curious structu re are given by Lieutenant Warren, and the dis affords interesting proof c overy of the intelligence and enterprise of our explorers. INDIAN TELEGnAms. We mentioned two days ago that Messrs. Schuster and Co. had sent a telegram to Calcutta, and re ceived a reply withi n seven hours. We remarked that this unwonted despatch Seemed to show that the managers - of the present telegraph to India had 'been stirred into activity by the prospect of competition. This activity would seem to be spasmodic. Another firm write that they receive d a telegram on the 17th at 10.55 a.m., dated Calcutta 11th, 4.30 p.m. How comes it to pass, they a s k , th at w hil e one fi rm was so fortunate as to get telegram and reply trans mitted in a little over 0 hours, their own firm had to wait nearly 6 days for the reply alone ? This uncer worse than regu l ar d e l ay. I s it tainty is almost possible that special preparations were made for dealing with Messrs. Schuster's message by way of advertisement for a company which has been much and not undeservedly abused lately ? FOREIGN NOTES. REJECTION OF THE ALABAMA CLAIMS TREATY. The Foreign Affairs Committee of the American Senate almost unanimously recommend the rejection of the treaty signed by Lord Clarendon and llr. Reverdy Johnson for the settlement of the Alabama claims. This intelligence only confirms general expectation, and it may be taken as a sure presage of the fate of the treaty. There is no ground for the hope that the Senate will disregard the recommendation of its committee. It appears that the concessions made by England still fall short of American demands. The people of the United States object to the Convention partly on account of the length of time which a settlement in its terms would involve. A year is allowed for ratifications to be exchanged between the two Govern ments, two years were the maximum period for the delibe rations of the commissioners, and beyond this time eighteen months might possibly be consumed in the payment of the claims. This delay was thought too great. Then objec tions were raised to the mode of choosing the umpire, which, the Americans urged, placed justice at the mercy of chance. An umpire unfavourable to American views might be chosen by the tossing up of a cent. This is true, though it is by no means clear what other provi sion could be made for a contingency with which international law cannot deal. If the parties cannot agree upon a referee, how is the difficulty to be overcome? Further objection is taken on the ground that British claims are placed upon the same footing as American claims. According to a petition which a Boston shipowner presented to the Senate, the injury caused by the derredations of the Alabama was inflicted by the British Government wilfully, and in bad faith. This is simply begging much, if not th e whole, of the question at issue. The Tunes considers that the real defect of the Treaty is, as we have previously shewn, the absence of any definite basis of arbitration, and the great probability that the recognition of the South as a belligerent might be brought into court through sheer want of provision to exclude it ; a defect so serious as to reconcile the Villa to the rejection. "We have done our 'best, we have gone to the verge, if not transgressed it, of national humiliation," and all that remains is to await the proposals of the United States Government. Clearly the next initiative must come from the other side. CANADA. The measures for the incorporation of the Hudson's Bay territory with the dominion of Canada move slowly onwards. The Canadian delegates have sent to Earl Granville their reply to the claim of the Hudson's Bay Company for a large money payment. The Canadian News understands that this reply cha- racterises the " territorial rights " of the company as utterly untenable. It concludes with the request that her Majesty's Government will now take the necessary steps to transfer Rupert's Land to the Dominion on the terms already offered by the Canadian Parliament. As we have previously mentioned, Canada offers vrry little money payment. Twafay AND GREECL eltirca.that the raiz .of the RUSSIA. An extraordinary sect, named the Skoptsii, which adopts a barbarous mutilation as a portion of its rites, is exciting much attention in Russia. The Government has long been striving to exterminate this community, but its great wealth, according to the Libertj, has hitherto enabled it to escape. Its members seem to add their fortunes together to form a common fund, which is intended to sub vert the present rule, establish a new kingdom in Russia, and commence a new era in which Skoptsii principles are to prevail. This seems to be the immediate object of the organisation. Several arrests have been made, and in the vaults of the leader's house at St. Petersburg the sum of £1,600,000 was found concealed. SPAIN. The Provisional Government's term of office expired as soon as the Cortes was constituted. This latter pro cess has been going on since the opening of the Chamber, and is now complete. In view of the coining change an important meeting of the majority has been held, and it has been resolved that Marshal Serrano be entrusted with the formation of a new Cabinet, embodying the sovereign executive power. It is expected that most of the members of the Provisional Government will take office in the new Ministry. In fact, the formation of a Cabinet will be little more than a matter of form ; the course of administration will not be interrupted. INDIA. The education of the native women of India is making progress. The report of a Native Girls' School examina tion which has taken place at Madras, shews that the school has been carried on for twenty years, and turned out many promising scholars, who are now doing well. A caste day-school has an average attendance of 100, and some Brahmin girls are among the pupils. The manner in which the girls passed the examination was a testimony to the success of missionary labours in this important direction. (From the Anglo-American Times.) In responding to the formal notification of his election to the Presidency, General Grant promised to take as his advisers men who are prepared to carry out the principles of economy, retrenchment, and honesty, but he declined to mention the names of the members of his Cabinet until the nomina tions were sent to the Senate. Last Tuesday the President sent to the Senate for ratification the Treaty with Columbia, giving to the United States an exclusive right to construct the Darien Ship Canal. Considering that Caleb Cushing's mission to Bagota has been everywhere pronounced to be a failure, this telegram takes us all by surprise. It was asserted that the people of Columbia were so dull that they could not see their own interests, and needed a little annexing to brighten their rusty faculties. The Supreme Court has decided that contracts made specially payable in gold are legally payable in gold, which is an important step on the way to specie payment. It is now possible to base transac tions in the United States on what is recognized by the world as money, and this will facilitate what would otherwise have been a violent change from a paper to a specie basis. We hope that there may be no decision on the constitutionality of the Legal- Tender Act, for an adverse judgment by the Su preme Court would have an unfavourable influence on what is now working towards so satisfactory an end ; though such considerations cannot be per mitted theoretically to stand in the way of the deci sion of any legal tribunal, who have to deal accord ing to law and equity, not expediency. Although amalgamation is the order of the day at Washington, there is an intention of erecting the Revenue Bureau into a distinct department of the Government, and giving its chief a seat in the Cabinet. The New Tax Bill having passed the Senate has gone to the President. We cannot tell what its provisions are. By Tax Bill of course is meant the Internal Revenue Bill, which was when the last mail left on its passage through the House, and we will have to wait some time before we get full particulars. The pamphlet of the bill, consisting of 121 pages, was taken up on the evening of the 2d February where the House left it last session, at section 121, page 61. On that night Mr. Schenck got so far as to propose the striking out of the sec tions from 139 to 326, relating to tobacco, snuff, and spirits. In his speech be alluded to a report generally believed throughout the country that some member would spring upon the House a proposition to increase the tax on spirits. This rumour he denied, and the notion he denounced, as the reduc tion on whisky bad worked well, and he did not believe that any person with honest purpose, or with any other purpose than rascally speculation, had set afloat such reports. The following telegram was received from Wash ington last Sunday :—" The House of Representa tives has passed a bill repealing all laws authorising the issue of bonds excepting for railroad subsidies, or for the conversion of coupons into registered bonds." This must be the bill embodying the features of that lately presented by Representative Judd, of Illinois, to prevent the Secretary of the Treasury from selling or transferring any more bonds or issuing any more notes bearing interest or other wise, by which all future Secretaries of the Treasury will be prevented from making such issues without the consent of Congress. At the same time the following telegram Was re ceived : The House has also passed bills prohibiting secret sales of bonds .or gold by the Government and prohibiting the acceptance of national currency by banks, corporations, or persons, as collateral securities for loans. The bill as follows was first introduced into the Senate by Mr. Conkling in compliance with the petitions of leading houses in New York, Phila delphia, Boston, and Chicago : Section 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of United States of America in Congress assembled. That from and after the passage of this Act no percentage, deduction, commission, or compensation of any &mount or kind, shall be allowed to any person for the sale, negotiation, or exchange of any bonds or securities of the 'United States or of any coin or bullion disposed of nt the Treasury Department or elsewhere on account of United States ; and all Acts or parts of Acts authorizing or permitting, by construction or otherwise, the Secretary of the Treasury to appoint any agent, other than some proper officer of his department, to make such sales or negotia tions of bonds and securities, are hereby repealed. Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, that after the passage of this Act all exchanges, purchases, or sales of the bonds of the United States shall be made by inviting the competition of the public, by advertising for proposals for any such exchanges, purchases, or sales, which will be awarded publicly to the best bidder or bidders, the Secretary of the Treasury reserving the right to reject any such bids should he deem it to the public interest to do so. And be it further enacted, that from and after the passage of thi s Act all sales of gold on account of the United States shall be made at the public auction by a proper officer of the Treasury department, after giving public notice of the times and place such sales shall be made by advertising the same. The Stock Exchange of New York has struck from the call the Erie Railway quotations, as the directors have failed to comply with the regulation recently adopted. According to this rule securities of every description must be registered with a Trust Company or respectable banking-house, giv ing the full roll of their shareholders. As the Erie did not comply it was struck off on the Ist inst., as well as the Adams, Wells and Fargo Express, as though the latter afterwards made arrangements hoping to be restored to their place. With these exceptions all the others acted on the rule, and now the Erie can only be bought and sold in the street, a fact which has a damaging influence on its price. The Eric has picked up the Fort Wayne and Chicago line, which was thrown over by the Pennsylvania. Cen tral after some negotiations, on, it is asserted, favour able terms. The two lines are making grand com binations to establish monopolies of through traffic across the Continent, and we expect eventually to see the cities of Philadelphia and New York competing for it against each other. Indeed there are many signs which show that Philadelphia is going to move vigorously for this object, and a bill has already been introduced into the Pennsylvania Legislature for subsidising a line from Philadelphia to Bremen, touching at Southampton ; and another bill is sure shortly to follow to aid the promotion of a line be tween the State cap'tal and Liverpool. A correspondence was published at Washington Feb. 2, about Warren and Costello. There are two letters from Mr. Seward to Mr. Reverdy Johnson, in the usual style of that astute statesman. In the first, dated Sept. 14, 1868, this passage occurs— " The explanations given by Lord Stanley may have satisfied Parliament concerning the judicial severity maintained by the British Government in the case of Warren and Costello. They are, how ever, by no means satisfactory to the people of the United States. It is not easy to see what advan, tages the Government and people of Great Britain derive from that indulgence, counterbalanced by continued irritation on the part of a friendly nation." In the second, written nine days later, Mr. Seward expresses the earnest " hope not only that Warren and Costello may be soon released, as you seem authorized to expect, but that the natu ralization question may be settled before the new session of Congress in December. I think it hardly necessary to repeat the reasons I have heretofore given why it is desirable that the new Administra tion of this Government, which is to come in here on the 4th of March, and the reconstructed Admi nistration of Great Britain, which is supposed to be near at hand, shall find themselves relieved of all the international questions which, although they are not intrinsically difficult, have nevertheless so long and so painfully embarrassed both nations." The third letter is from Costello, dated Oct. 10, 1868, and also addressed to Mr. Reverdy Johnson. His is not a bad epistle, as he has a forcible way of pointing his observations. He does not like the position ; asks if he is an American citizen ; " if so, it is a sublime privilege ;" and it certainly would be, if it permitted a man with impunity to break the laws of other countries. He wants to know when he is to get out, and what the United States have done. "It may be, in the whirl of more grave and important events that the United States Government has failed to meet the issue in my case ; or, as I have been conjecturing, the Re public-may not wish to disturb the amicable rela tions existing with the mother country; or, again, Know-nothingism may be, as formerly, in the ascendancy, and hence the startling anomaly of one-third of the American population proved to be, according to the letter and the spirit of the English law, British subjects." He brands the Legislature which confers the responsibilities of American citizenship without protection as an insult and mockery ; but he envies not, if such be the case, his fellow citizens who are but a step higher on the political ladder than the negro under the old regime. Ile requests this letter to be sent to the President. The Fenian bubble having burst, in our opinion, the sooner these political prisoners are released the better. It might be advisable to keep them incar cerated so long as they were dangerous, but after the danger has passed they are more an apple of discord in gaol than when breathing the free air of their adopted country. The Connecticut Republican State Convention met on the 3d February in the music Hall of New Haven, the attendance being large in spite of the weather. General Hawley was elected permanent President; twenty-one vice-presidents were named, and took their seats on the platform. The meeting nominated the State ticket of last year as follows : —For Governor, Marshall Jewell ; for Lieutenant- Governor, Francis Wayland; for Secretary of State, Hiram Appleman ; for Treasurer, David P. Nichols; for Controller, J. W. Manning. The most re markable occurrence at the Convention was the introduction by General Hawley of an additional resolution, to the nine reported by the committee, which was hailed with enthusiasm, and passed unanimously, being placed among the others as the sixth, as follows : " We denounce as enemies of the people and robbers, to b e indignantly visited with the full penalties of public opinion and statute law, all officials, State or national, who commit or permit dishonesty, partiality, or negli gence, in the collection or disbursement of the treasure of a greatly burdened people, and make thieving sport of the taxes that patriotic labour cheerfully pays. No rebels wero ever so dangerous to the country we love." The Convention rejoices over Republican success in Grant's election, advocates impartial suffrage, demands that loyal men be protected in all their rights, unreservedly denounces the wickedness and meanness of repudiation in all its forms and dis guises, and believes it to be the duty of Congress at once formally to affirm thatwhen the national debt is paid it must be paid in gold, except where it is otherwise distinctly provided in the original con tract, and urges economy. Many efforts have been made to get the Repre sentatives to take up the Tariff Bill increasing the duties on imports, introduced by Mr. Moorehead, of Pennsylvania, but as yet they have failed. On the Ist inst. that gentleman moved that when the House went into Committee of the Whole, previous orders should be laid aside in favour of his Tariff Bill. A. motion by Gen. Butler to proceed to business on the Speaker's table was regarded as a test question, but Butler was successful by 91 to 63. Alaska is the " elephant" of the United States. All the glowing pictures we used to hear are heard no more. Sitka is deserted, even the Russian in habitants having abandoned it, and as all the Ame rican arrivals desire to set up saloons, the laws of trade therein make themselves felt by giving an abun dance of grog shops, but no customers. A subject of dispute has arisen regarding some privileges of the Greek Church, which the United States feel little disposition to maintain. Troubles also have broken out with the Indians. It appears that these desir able citizens disarmed a soldier and carried his gun away to their village. A guard was sent to re cover the property, but the Indians defied the guard and hoisted a flag. General Davis prepared to bombard the place, when the chief surrendered. A few days afterwards a canoe full of Indiana was seen leaving the harbour, contrary to orders. The sentries fired on the Indians, killing and wounding seven ; the Indians must, indeed, feel that they have been transferred from despotism to the rule of free dom. The province is so far found not only to be useless, but a source of annoyance and expense. It is of no good even for the purposes of the " ring," Mr. Robert Walker having pocketed the only fee given. The Senate Committee on Commerce have reported adversely upon the nomination of Mr. Ketchum as collector. Elsewhere we publish the gist of the correspon dence about Warren and Costello, which was dis cussed on the 2d instant in the House of Repre sentatives, when Mr. Robinson, of New York, came out appropriately in the character he has assumed of " the faithful Fenian." After showing at great length that the honour and existence of tho Amen can nation were involved in the liberation of these gentlemen, he discussed the suggestion of a treaty in reference to naturalization being made, saying that he would kick any man into the middle of nexteveek who would talk about a treaty with Eng land until she first liberated the American citizens whom she held in prison." A forcible argument, and one likely to weigh heavily in the House of Representatives and the House of Commons. After Mr. Chandler had ventilated his sentiments, the correspondence was referred to the Commit on Foreign Affairs. The bill authorizing the Brooklyn Bridge WO passed on the 2d inst. by the Federal House of Representatives. It directs that the bridge, to be constructed under an act of the New York Legig lature, shall be, when completed in accordance with an aforesaid law of the State of New York, a law ful structure and post-road for the conveyance of the mai's of the United States. An amendment by Mr. Delano provided against legalizing any struc ture that would materially injure the navigation o f the river. There was a question whether the Sta te of New York had power to authorize the construc tion of the bridge across tide-water. The largo amount of capital necessary for such a structu re ($8,000,00(1 to $10,000,000) could not be read il y subscribed so long as the question of jurisdictio n remained. The Supreme Court had decided in tbe Wheeling Bridge case that if Congress conquere d ' there was no further question left. if the pow er were in Congress, this bill would give the autho rity ; if it were in the State of New York, th e Legislature of that State had given it; and if it erne in both Congress and the State, then this bill, in connection with the New York statute, would give it. The Mexican Custom-house authorities found the plan tried on the captain of the Chanticleer at Ma z ttlan to answer so well that they have tried it on three German captains of merchant vessels in th e harbour. The collector finding a deficit of eve r $4,000 in his dues assembled the merchants and in timated that it was their duty to make it good, with which suggestion they complied; and it is not a bac' hint this for the Chancellors of the Exchequer and Secretaries of the Treasury. The General coin' manding in the State, said to be a man of dissolute habits, has an effectual system for disposing of rebel° and brigands. Guiterrey, General of the Fourth Pi vision, chief of a band of robbers, fled, and was pa" sued by the military, with orders " to shoot him ee sight." The new Federal officers at Mazatlan ha ve arrived and assumed their duties. Several earth: quakes were felt, though no damage beyond frigh t sustained. As we are on the subject of Mexico We may mention the ridiculous story that has found i : way into the Spanish and French papers that Maximillian was not killed, but fell badly wound ed ' and was removed during the night to a place safety, where he afterwards recovered, and an editor vouches for having seen a recent letter from bh 11 ; The new elections will soon come off, and gre at efforts are being by the party hostile to Jauraz an d his Administration. The Mexican Congress 1 30° ratified, and the President notified the fact to e 'Washington, of a treaty to settle the Mexic an claims. A commission is to be appointed by ea ch Government. Philadelphia is moving in earnest to promote interest as a port. If the Pennsylvania Centre Railway Company is to compete successfully 01u the great lines running West from New York for the Western traffic, more especially the throng , ; traffic to San Francisco, Philadelphia must' b ell steamers plying to Europe. The clear-headed W en who manage the Pennsylvania Central have lel seen this, and directed to it their attention. e' 1 rib fe times hitherto have been unpropitious, but they 3 : 0 mending, and the city i s now b es tirin the matter. A meeting was h e ld on th e 30t1; ',1-51Y nary in the Continental Hotel to consider the at: plication made to the State Legislature for a suof sidy to the steam line of Messrs. Ruger and Ceo: i , New York, to Hamburg and Bremen, to make ladelphia the port of departure if the Legislat e/ 0 would vote $5,000 per round trip to SouthaniP s , and Bremen, guaranteeing this for fifteen voyeg c l , Messrs. Knight and Bodine, Directors of the 113 a e road Company, stated that their Board faveu r b , the proposal, and would hear a portion of the s ti sidy. It had been their earnest desire for se le ef , years to establish a li n e t o Li verpoo l, an d their 4,0 forts world soon be success f u l . They agreed to pay a subsidy vastly in excess of what the Gere lll ,4 Company asked, but they had experienced greet difficulty in getting mercantile subscriptions for steam lines. As we observed last week, the r eri „ l3 ; Sylvania Central has beaten the Erie in securl the lease of the Columbus, Chicago, and ind i3 : s .. Central Road for 99 years, with immediate Pe e : bo sion. At a full meeting of the stockholders ' te a offer of the Pennsylvania Central was nee° almost unanimously. Aro lo The telegraphic intelligence from Cuba eon- e , the news given in the New York papers of the g el3 bo ral character of the insu rrec ti on . At Madrid 1 103 tidings are considered to be v er y s er i ou s, telegr e 4o having been rec e ived f rom G enera l Dulce, fr o f Captain-General of Cuba, urging the despat ch d to reinforcements, the insurrection having sPr ea ,i o g the neighbourhood of Havah, and rekine s " b Government to introduce into the Cortes a sanctioning the contraction of a loan of 400 all, t he of reals for Cuba. General Dulce has ordered renewal of the censorship on the press, and has ion given directions for the insurgents who are a o d prisoners to be tried by court-martial. Six tho nse p men will shortly leave Spain for Ilavanna h ' consequence of General Dulce's demand for re forcements. iffi °s . A.D . vEßTisEmENT.]—Holloway's Pills.—This O r a re' an regulating medicine should occasionally be 1 ' 9 400 course to during foggy, cold, and wet weather. Pills are the best preventation of hoarseness, sore ,b!' o for diptheria, pleurisy, and asthma, and are sure reine d rtes congestion, bronchitis, and inflammation. 1410(1°1 -ate a „ T orl tion to the directions around each box will enable vier• invalid to take the Pills in the most advantageous 93 4 L They will thus be taught the proper doses, and r - r 61- cumstances under which they' must be increased .(24tS, minished. Holloway's Pills act as alteratives, 0.1 3°1 „ 1- 00 and tonics. When ever these Pills have been take"itifr last resource the results have always been most g r ;: e the ing ; even when they fail to cure they always ass o6 "' severity of the symptoms and diminish danger. ~ • LADVERTISEXENT Consumption, and all bilions , o , o ne ol , stomach,and liver complaints in every stage are only rfe t a and accelerated by drugs of every description, but P° Foo curable by Du Barry's health-restoring Revalenta Arabi c3 'ilefe as proved by thousands of cases which had been coil! 06, hopeless; such as indigestion (dyspepsia), cough, astho l ,,,lolo, sumption, habitual constipation, diarrhoea, all gastric u' iot or ments, htemorrhoids, liver complaints, flatulency, he rv° oo, itt biliousness, fevers, sore throats, diphtheria, catarrhs , oc't Trap fluenza, noises in the head and ears, rheumatism, gll s stle rities, eruptions, hysteria, neuralgia, irritability, sleep , ro pe a ; acidity, palpitation, heartburn, headache, debilitY, or cramps, spasms, nausea and sickness, even in preglaaV sea, sinking fits, bronchitis, scrofula, tightness of ticlerg' pains at the pit of the stomach, and between the shou jp,r— o f We quote a few.—The Pope's health restored by D h ea lth Food. Cure No 68,413.—" Rome, July 21, 1866.—Th0 7 io g ",. the Holy Father is excellent, especially since, aband° Daffira other remedies, ho has confined himself entirely to Du .fliatei7i Revalenta Arabica Food, of which he consumes aueietlei.,o at every meal. It has proiuced a surprisingly effect on his health, and his Holiness cannot P,thNfictis, excellent food too highly." From the " Gazette cl,r er ss e „ o , July 25. Cure No. 46,270. Mr. James Roberts, tihn chant, of Frimley, Surrey, of thirty years' dia,e a A s ,, e 9 ,lo o l . of spitting of blood, liver derangement, and partial 09, 0 ",fty Cure No. 1,771. Lord Stuart de Decies, Lord Lie Waterford, of many years' dyspepsia.—NO. 49,80;00h:01 years' indescribable agony from dyspepsia, ~f5e,,,0 0 1, asthma, cough, constipation, flatulency, spasms, ther,t,u' vomiting.—MariaJoly." Important Caution.—Be war ° . unsavoury and more than sloppy imitations to which , to ch g. r ,ps, authority, Baron Liehig's name is most audaciously In tins, at is. 11d. ; 1 lb. 2s. Yd.; 2 lbs. 4s. 6d.; 5 lbs. fl, 00;4 225.; 24 lbs, 40s, —Also Du BARRY'S REVALEN TA f0r,,, 0 LATE POWDER is packed in tin canisters; for 12 culls t i 576 7 0 6 cups at 3s. 6d., for 48 cups at Gs., for 288 cups at 305., at .55s.—being about ofp penny per cup. The 305, a_t 'ree t tl; o o Oroo aro sent free of carriage in England on receipt oi st , Order —BARRY DU BARRY and Co., No. 77, RoV nt " don; and all Grocers and Chemists. Births. Buss-On tho 16t inst , Berkoly rle square, the Baroness do Bliss, of a o s on and heir' 00 1 EGERToN-On the 18th inst., at Curzon-street, the Mrs. Algernon Egorton, of a daughter. 000 0, Lo the IGth inst at Kent lionsr, S l ' au ghie r. the wife of Francis Lowther, Esq., R.N., of 3 u - Marriages. Pi D ri V. CROONES-COLLINSON- On the 17th inst., AL '""' OL Chester, George William, son of George CroolcelViiiisV- Tatnes's-street, London, to Jessie, daughter of Collinson, of Queen's-park, Chester. r Et t Obr ij r di. COOPER-ADDERLEY-On the 11th inst., ,-,, Lancaster-gate, Captain E. W. Cooper, 2d %.„"„ - r y Regt., tb Agnes Julia, youngest daughter of Il,er derley, Esq., Inverness-terrace, Hyde- park, A` ' Deaths. CusunE-On the 17th inst., at 17, Hill-street, the P° Mrs. Raikes Currie. l ot, Cji CHAPMAN- On the 16th inst., at Dieppe, Georg e fet. Esq., aged 63. gi GIVHY-At 18, rue Gaillon, Paris, Madome 78. MDSE London : Printed and Pablished by WILLIA 11 :: tto o f of No. 112, Stra n d, P r i n t er , a t THE SUN ODPC'e,ontl Straw], iu the Precinct of the Sewn% fa IliddleiexerSaturciay, February.2o,_lBo9.