The Sun. — London, England, 1869-04-09 00:00:00

SPIRIT OP THE PUBLIC jOURNALb. The rifited allows the Chancellor of the Exchequer the iiiumph of having introduced the most ingenious Budget of-h e present century. He had to tell a wretc hed stor y , an behold ! it is triumphant. He had to unfold a dismal tale of mere equilibrium, painfully secured by attenuat ing the balances of the Bank to a degree which was scandalous if not unsafe, and lo ! there is a surplus. Men who listened to his faltering periods, which seemed but too appropriate to a lame conclusion, asked themselves whether it would be possible to tide over the present unhappy state of affairs by borrowing on the strength of our future resources, or whether it would be necessary to impose new taxes in order to pay our way, and Mr. Lowe has astonished them by repealing and reducing taxes in all directions. We need say no more to prove that the Budget of this year contained all the elements of dramatic surprise ; but, without any appearance of design, in the most natural way in the world, the Chancellor led his hearers to the very brink of despair, and then suddenly revealed a way out of all their embarrass ments. It is surprising, but it is so. Abyssinia has been paid for, at a price which would be extravagant as the purchase money of the country in fee simple, and we have everything we could desire—more than any of us dreamt of receiving —in addition. The surplus is £32,000, not a farthing more, nor less, and yet Mr. Lowe has taken a penny off , the income tax, has abolished the corn duty at the cost of £900,000, has abolished the fire insurance duty, has set free the carrying trade of the country, gives us better cabs, allows us to powder our hair, and to sell tea without a license, and at the end of all leaves us with a prospective surplus of £442,000, with which to face the casualties of the current twelve months. The Standard believes that one person in the House of Commons, and perhaps only one, must have been gratified by the manner in which Mr. Lowe performed the function that Thursday night for the first time devolved upon him. Ever since 1860 the House has been accustomed to regard the Budgets of the Liberal party as an intellectual treat. To feel assnrred that, however little men might like the substance of the statement, its manner was sure to afford them that kind of gratification which educated men derive from a brilliant display of intellectual power and oratorical skill on a difficult topic ; from seeing dry figures clothed with life, and interest imparted to the dullest and most sterile of political themes by sheer force of fancy and of eloquence. Mr. Gladstone, as he listened to his successor in office, must have felt that he was in no danger of being outshone by a rival who seemed to have imitated only the faults of his financial style ; who bad achieved the prolixity without the vivacity, the intricacy and minuteness without the lucidity, of his well-remembered Budget speeches. Mr. Lowe labours under certain personal disadvantages, to which he alluded with tact and delicacy, and the con sequences of which he bore with perfect good humour ; but these have no connection with the faults of his speech—with the tedious and minute elaboration of trifles, the reiteration of unmeaning assurances, and the total absence of proportion which distinguished it. In short, for so eminent and able a man, the Budget speech was a surprising and somewhat inexplicable failure. The Budget itself could hardly be a very satisfactory one. Circumstances are very unfavourable to the Chan cellor of the Exchequer. We have, as Mr. Lowe said, a revenue which has lost for the nonce its former elasticity ; an ordinary expenditure which has been kept down within its actual limits only by exertions on the part of the chiefs of " the two great spending departments," for which they received full credit from their colleague, and which may prove to be sound economy or criminal extra vagance when we are able fully to appreciate its conse quences ; and an extraordinary charge of more than four millions and a half which, at the end of last session, was entirely unexpected. Under these conditions no Finance Minister could accomplish much, nor could the country expect a Budget of the popular kind. The Post declares that the circumstances under which the new Chancellor of the Exchequer was called upon on Thursday evening to make his financial statement were eminently calculated to secure for him that indulgence which he claimed at the hands of the House of Commons. The task which a Financial Minister is annually called upon to discharge is either eminently ungracious or the very reverse. But, notwithstanding the disheartening circumstances under which Mr. Lowe rose to unfold his Budget, the House of Commons was joyfully surprised at hearing that not only would there be no additional demands on the patience of the taxpayer, but that very sensible reductions would be effected in the present taxes provided a particular modification in the existing mode of collecting some of them received the assent of the Legislature. In a word, the House of Com mons assembled on Thursday evening with the almost certain conviction that a deficit would be declared and an increase of direct, and probably indirect, taxation de manded ; but, before the Chancellor of the Exchequer I resumed his seat, his hearers had the satisfaction of learning that, after all current demands on the national purse are met, and a considerable diminution of both direct and indirect taxation effected, the Chancellor reckons on a surplus at the end of the financial year of very nearly half a million of money. The Herald maintains that Mr. Lowe developed to the ' House of Commons on Thursday night a Budget of which he was not the author. The voice was the voice of Jacob, but the hands were those of Esau. All the really impor tant proposals of the Chancellor of the Exchequer were imposed upon him by the Prime Minister. The Budget is as clearly that of Mr. Gladstone, with its small merits and its great defects, with its sacrifice of the future to the present, with its hocus pocus where plain, straight forward dealing would have answered better, as any one of those which the member for Greenwich presented, whether as a member of the Aberdeen, Palmerston, or Russell Administrations. Shortly summed up, Mr. Lowe's proposals amount to this. Particular classes of taxpayers are to pay something like two years' taxes in the course of the current year in order that the fire insurance and corn duties may be repealed ; or, looked at from another I point of view, it may be said of the Budget, that whilst by adhering to the existing system of taxation the revenue of the year would pay all its charges, and the deficit of the previous year too. Mr. Lowe has chosen to enter upon a hazardous speculation, which, at the best, will leave him with little larger surplus than he was assured of without that speculation, and will not improbably—for his finely-drawn calculations as to the times of payment under his new system are likely to prove in many re spects erroneous—leave him or his successor the duty of acknowledging next April a large deficit. The Daily News congratulates Mr. Lowe upon having prepared an agreeable surprise for the country. While it has been anxiously asking what new taxes would be put on, he has responded with a long list of taxes to be taken off. The income tax is to be lowered from 6d. to sd. in the pound ; the duty of a shilling in the quarter now imposed on foreign corn is to be removed ; the tax on fire insurance is to be altogether remitted ; the taxes on loco motion are to be greatly reduced ; the tea license is to be abolished ; and the assessed taxes are to be equalised an d lowered. Detailed criticism on Mr. Low e ' s sc h e me must he deferred. It does credit to his inventi ve power e as a financier; and would have made a stronger impressio n on the House than it seemed to do, if its very novelty and boldness had not taken men by surprise, while its magni tude and complexity interfered with the full and clear apprehension of its scope and details. Mr. Lowe has not that sustained power of distinct exposition and that oratorical art which enchains the interest of an audience, and facilitates the reception of details. If no more damaging criticism is produced than Mr. Ward Hunt's suggestion that'the gain in the new method of collecting the income tax and the assessed taxes is only a gain for one year, while permanent sources of revenue are foregone, the Budget is not likely to be very much damaged in dis cussion. Does Mr. Ward Hunt anticipate are Abyssinian war every year? Apart from that source of exceptional expense, Mr. Lowe has a surplus of £1,632,000 at his disposal. The Star thinks that the Chancellor of the Exchequer has produced an ingenious, an original, a beneficent, we may almost say a mag ical, Budget. He has found corn in Egypt, and where all was expected to be impost and exac tion, the hungry taxpayers are to be filled with good things. Instead of adding a penny to the income tax Mr. Lowe takes one off. Instead of passing by the fire insurance duty, he entirely repeals it. Mr. Alderman Lawrence will never again have to plead against the hackney carriage duties ; they, too, are to be abolished. The obnoxious shilling duty on corn is also to be num bered amongst things that were. And all this is done without a surplus, at a moment of financial gloom. Mr. Lowe began his statement by declaring that the situation was wanting in no element of difficulty and embarrass ment. When he ended it the difficulties bad been sur mounted and the embarrassment was at an end. In fact, being a competent financer and administrator, instead of an incompetent tinker , Mr. Lowe had produced a financial policy which proved as agreeable a surprise, in point of elaborate tact, as Mr. Gladstone's I rish Church mea sure itself. There is nothing after all in real intellectual and statesmanlike power. Peace bath its Bismarcks and its Moltkes no less renowned than those of war. The Telegrap h says that the proverbial diffi c ulty of making a silk purse out of a sow's ear was on Thursday ni g ht o vercome by Mr. .Robert Lowe. The fi rst impulse of which the bold Briton will be conscious when he opens his paper will be to express unbounded gra titude towards the right hon. gentleman the Chancellor of the Exchequer. For, what has that distinguished states man promised to do ? Like the cleverest ma e rsgician z, he that eve- delighted an audience of holiday g has produced, apparently out of nothi n g , a multitude of delicious boons, and dispensed them in a dazzling . shower among the taxpayers of this tax-ridden country. We knew we had fallen behind in our finances, and we were pain fully apprehensive that even worse things were in store for us ; when, presto ! with a graceful dexterity that Pl.° d for ever place him high in rank among political wizards, the Chancellor of the Exchequer dispels the dark ness with a wave of his wand, and opens a Fortunatus's purse of gifts such as in our wildest visions we had scarcely dared to anticipate for years to come. The improved collection of the assessed and house taxes needs no formal approbation, since it is only another step in a course already commenced and admitted to be successful. Are the taxpayers, then, willing to hear some extra pressure for three months next year, in order to secure a more than equivalent gain, which will begin to be available at once? If they are, Mr. Lowe may be congratulated on one of the most successful schemes for converting temporary depression into perma nent pf,,perity that any Finance Minister of our tim• has at t opted, IRELAND. 'With herofe resolution (writes a Dublin correspondent under date April 8) Prince Arthur and his viceregal enter tainers proceeded yesterday again to Punchestown. They had promised to go, and were expected, and their Excellencies, who have never allowed considerations of personal convenience to prevent the discharge of a public duty or the concession of a popular favour, cheerfully undertook the task of witnessing the second day's sport. With better preparations than on the previous day to encounter an unfriendly climate, they were ready to en dure or to enjoy whatever might betide. The Prince was animated by the same excellent spirit, and at twelve o'clock the royal party set out in close carriages from the Viceregal Lodge. Owing to the inclemency of the morn ing there were fewer spectators than on Tuesday. In the first carriage were his Royal Highness, their Excellencies the Lord Lieutenant and Lady Spencer, with Captain Campbell, A.D.C. In the other carriages were Lady Sarah Spencer, Lady Charles Spencer, the Hon. Miss Vesey, Lord C. Paget, Lord Suffield, Lord Charles Bruce, Colonel Elphinstcne, Lord de Vesci, Captain Villiers, Captain Bridges, Captain Kearney, Lieutenant Lascelles, Mr. Leslie, Hon. Mr. Burke, Colonel Foster, Major W. Melville, Major H. Seymour, Captain Wellesley, Lieute nant Picard, Mr. Roundell, and Mr. Courtney Boyle, private secretaries. They were received at the King's Bridge terminus by the chairman and &kers of the rail way company. A special trai n was in waiting, with a state carriage and engine handsomely decorated, as on the pre vious day, with evergreens and banners. At twenty minutes past twelve o'clock the train started, and in little more than an hour reached Sallins, where the viceregal equipages and an escort were in waiting, and the royal party took the road amid the cheers of the persons assembled at the station. After an uninteresting drive the royal party reached the course shortly after half-past 1 o'clock. Their presence was gladly welcomed, and its obviously disin terested character enhanced the value of the compliment which they conferred under circumstances of personal dis comfort. Some warmth and life were visibly infused into the dispirited assembly, and Punchestown tried to smile through its tears. The concourse was greatly diminished in numbers, and the scene, even in intervals of comparative brightness, was dreary. The whole field was a dismal swamp, and the course, ploughed up by the running on Tuesday, severely taxed the strength and endurance of the horses. In a purely sporting point of view their feats were witnessed with the greater interest under the difficulties they had to meet. The pace in the leading events shewed little or no falling off, and the jumps, rendered more trying by the depth and adhesiveness of tha ground, were taken in dashing style. The most exciting points in the course were shut out from the occupants of the stands by the pitiless rain, and were only revealed to the spectators who clustered near ; but in the space immediately in front the contest was watched with interest, and all eyes were set with eager expectation upon the impetuous rush of the first group of competitors to the winning-post. The royal party remained with exemplary patience to the close of the races, and returned to town by special train. REPORTS OF FOREIGN MANUFACTURES AND COMMERCE. Further reports of her Majesty's Secretaries of Embassy and Legation on the manufactures and commerce of the countries in which they reside have just been issued. Mr. West's reports on the commerce, shipping, and general statistics of France shew that there has been an increase of £12,140,000 in the imports and exports of the nine months ending September 1868 with those of the same period in the preceding year. The condition of the home market was improving, and there was a greater activity in commercial and manufacturing transactions, in September 1868 than there was at the beginning of the year. The importation of foreign manufactured goods was increasing, but not sufficiently to justify the alarm at foreign competition which many persons feel. In the value of manufactured articles exported in 1868 there was an increase of £124,000 on the value for 1867. A marked improvement had taken place in the silk trade, and there had been an increase in the exports of machines and mechanical constructions and of arms, while in jewellery and watches, in refined sugars, in "confections," and in leather articles there has been a marked decrease. A great diminution has taken place in agricultural pro. duce, but an increase in wine of £680,000 in 1868. The importation of corn and farinaceous food of all kinds has largely increased, being estimated at more than eleven millions. The number of foreign ships entered in 1868 shewed a diminution as compared with the previous year, while the number cleared had increased ; on the other hand, the foreign ships entered had increased, while the number cleared had decreased. The total number of ships, French and foreign, entered and cleared at the principal ports, had however increased in .1868 over the previous two years, with the exception of the English ships, which had diminished very consider ably. Mr. West gives a report on the finances and public credit of France, in which he says that the year 1868 has been marked by no political crisis which can in any way account for the languishing state of all mercantile and commercial transactions. Capital has been locked up to an unprecented extent, enterprise suspended, and a general stagnation has reigned, which has been felt in other countries as well as France. It was said in 1847 " La France s'ennine," at present it has been said "La France attend." During the last year no national industrial enterprises have been embarked in. Financial prospects are, however, brighter than they were at the commencement of 1868. Mr. West gives the statistics of the Budgets of the last two years, and spews that the increase of the revenue gives satisfactory proof not only of the internal prosperity of the country, but of the bene ficial effects of the commercial legislation of late years. Mr. Rumbold, in giving his summary of the Budget of the Russian Empire for 1869, remarks upon the compara tively favourable character of the estimates for that year, which is attributable to the good harvest sof 1867-8 following I upon the exceptionally plentiful of 1866, and to the irnpu'se given to trade by the pressing demand for grain in Wes ern Europe. The extension of the railway system has also proved highly beneficial, and the Russian Minister, in his financial report to the Emperor, states that while 489 versts of railway line have been opened for traffic in 1867, 1,709 were opened in 1868, and it is expected that 2,000 will be added to the number in 1869. Mr. Rumbold's report of Swiss trade and industry during the five years between 1863 and 1868 is also full of interest. The period has been memorable one in the industrial and commer cial annals of the Confederation ; but, nevertheless, the prosperity of the country appears now to be assured. A FABRICATED ROYAL SPEECll—Several of the Paris journals recently gave an analysis of a speech made by Victor Emmanuel, of a very warlike tendency. Infor mation addressed from Vienna to the North-Eastern Cor respondence authorises that journal to declare that the whole story is pure invention, and that the King of Italy never said anything of the kind. A NEW GRAND CLUB.—For some time (says a journal noted for its aristocratic tone) there has been talk at the West-end of a club to be established on an entirely new scale. The entrance fee is fixed at three high figures, and the annual subscription at a corresponding rate. It is also said that the scheme has secured the patronage of royalty. It appears to be altogether a meaningless notion. Fancy charges for the pleasure of rubbing skirts with dukes will not repress the ambition of rich commoners, and surely the use of the ordinary ballot should be sufficient to keep a smoking-room select. CRUELTY TO A PlG. —Clement Gittings, butcher, of Shrewsbury, has been charged before the borough magistrates with cruelty to a pig. It appeared from the evidence that the defendant, on the previous Thursday, stuck a pig in his yard, and let it run about. In a few seconds it fell down, on which he threw a bucket full of boiling water over it, when it rose to its feet. He then lifted it into a cooler filled with scalding water, where it struggled so violently that he had to stand aside to avoid being scalded. The bench fined him 40s, and Bs. Gd. costs. THE INCOME TAX.—As far back as 1799, says the Daily News, when Mr. Pitt was in power, graduat e d duties on incomes were imposed, beginning with £6O per annum. It was not, ht.wever, until Sir Robert Peel came into office, in 1841, that the now familiar income tax became a permanent impost. In the session of 1842 Parlia ment sanctioned the Premier's proposition for a sevenpence rate, to be continued for three years. It produced about £5,350,000 annually, and led to the repeal of £12,000,000 of indirect taxes. In 1845, and again in 1848, (the income tax was renewed at the same rate. In 1851 and in the two following years it was continued, and in 1853 a hope was held out that in seven y( a-s it might be gradually reduced in amount, if not extinguished altogether. All incomes between £lOO and £l5O were, however, to be liable to a rate of sd. during that time. In 1854 the rates were dou bled, thus standing at 14d. for the larger in comes, and 10d. for the smaller; and in the following IL more was a 'del to the former, and 1 A , l. to the latter. In 1857 the rates dropped to 74.1. and to 5d., and in the next year both became 51. In July 1859 the rates were ralsed to 9d. and 6id. respectively; in 1860 they were further advanced to 10d. and 7d. In 1862 the rates were 9d. and Od. ; in 1863 there was a uniform tax of 7d., and incomes below £2OO wen allowed an abatement of £6O. In 1864 the rate was 6 I. ; in 1865 it was reduced to 4d. ; and here it remained until November 1867, when a penny was added to meet the expenses of the Abyssinian war. In the April of last year it was increased to 6d. Mr. Lowe proposes now to reduce it to 5d., the same figure as in 1858, and during a few months in...021a171 part of last Mr.) THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, APRIL 9, NILITARY CHANGES LV THE UNITED STATES The following General Order was issued from the Adjutant-General's Office at Washington, dated March 16, 1869: GENERAL ORDERS, No. 18.—By direction of the Presi dent of the United States, the following changes are made of Military Divisions and Department Commanders: 1. Lieut.-Gen. P. H. Sheridan is assigned to the command of the Military Division of the Missouri. 2. Major-Gen. H. W. Halleck is assigned to the command of the Military Division of the South, to be composed of the Departments of the South Louisiana, the Fourth Mili tary District, and the States composing the present De partment of the Cumberland, headquarters at Louisville Ky. Major-Gen. Halleck will proceed to his new command as soon as relieved by Major-Gen. Thomas. 3. Major-Gen. Geo. 11. Thomas is assigned to the com • mand of the Military Division of the Pacific. 4. Major-Gen. J. M. Schofield is assigned to the command of the Department of the Missouri. The State of Illinois and the post of Fort Smith, Arkansas, are transferred to this Department. 5. Brigadier and Brevet Major-Gen. 0. 0. Howard is assigned to command the Department of Louisiana. Un til his arrival, the senior officer, Brevet Major-Gen. J. A. Mower, will command, according to his brevet rank of Major-General. 6. The Department of Washington will be discontinued and merged in the Department of the East. The records will be sent to the Adjutant-General of the Army. 7. The First Military District will be added to the Mili tary Division of the Atlantic. 8. As soon as Major-Gen. Thomas is ready to relinquish command of the Department of the Cumberland the De partment will be discontinued, and the States compris ing it will be added to other departments to be hereafter designated. The records will be forwarded to the Adju tant-General of the Army.—By command of Gen. SHER MAN. The following General Order was issued by the Secretary of War, Match 16, by command of Gen. Sherman :—"ln compliance with section 2, of an Act of Congress entitled an Act making appropria tions for the support of the army for the year end ing, June 30, 1870, and for other purposes, ap proved, March 3, 1869,' the infantry of the army will be consolidated into 25 regiments, as follows : The 43d regiment will be consolidated with the Ist, the 16th regiment with the 2d, half of the 37th with the 31 ; the 30th Regiment with the 4th ; half of the 37th with the sth ; the 42d Regiment with the 6th ; the 36th Regiment with the 7th ; the 33d Regi ment with the Bth ; the 27th Regiment with the 9th ; the 22c1 Regiment with the 10th ; the 24th Regiment with the 29th ; and will thereafter be de - signated as the 11th ; the 45th Regiment with the 14th ; the 35th Regiment with the 15th ; the 11th Regiment with the 34th, and thereafter will be de signated as the 16th ; the 44th Regiment with the 17th ; the 25th Regiment with the 18th; the 28th Regiment with th 3 19th ; the 32d Regiment with the 21st ; the 31st Regiment with the 221 ; the 38th Regiment with the 41st, and thereafter it will be designated the 24th ; the 39th Regiment with the 40th, and thereafter it will be designated the 25th. Second : The field officers for the 25 regiments will be selected hereafter, and will be announced in general orders from the headquarters of the Army. Third : The senior company officers of each grade present for duty with any two regiments to be con solidated, and fit for active service, will be the offi cers of the consolidated regiment. The supernu merary officers will be ordered to their homes to await further orders, and supernumerary non commissioned officers will be honourably dis charged unless they elect to remain in service on a lower grade. Fourth : The ' , laces of all officers of the first twenty-five regiments, who are absent from their regiments •on detached service, leave of absence, or otherwise,' more than 30 days, will be regarded vacant, and will be filled as above provided for. Fifth : All vacancies that may hereafter occur in the 25 infantry regi ments will be filled by assignment of the senior officers of the same grade from the list of officers awaiting orders. Sixth : No new enlistments will be made until the number of men is reduced to the maximum number authorized by law for 25 regi ments, but re-enlistments will continue to be made in the 25 authorized regiments, according to existing regulations. Seventh : Commanding officers of the Veteran Reserve regiments are authorized to grant honourable discharge, on their application, to any of the enlisted men of their regiment who are unfit for active service." In consequence of the organization of 20 Regiments being dispensed with, the following changes have been made. The rule which guided General Sherman in retaining officers, was a good record, and the fact of being on duty at the time, with their commands. Gen. Buchanan, of whom so much has been said in reference to his course as military commander of Louisiana, retains the colonelcy of the Ist Regi ment. The command of the 2d Regiment is given to Gen. S. W. Crawford, well known dering the war as a division commander in the Army of the Potomac. Gen. Sidney Burbank, the former com mander, is put upon the list of supernumeraries. The colonelcy of the 3d Regiment is taken from Gen. Hoffman, and given to Gen. Geo. W. Getty, former commander of a division of the Sixth Corps. Col. Frank F. Flint is promoted from Lieut.-Col. to the command of the 4th Regiment, in place of Gen. Silas Casey, who is on detached service as a member of a Board of Examination. Gen. Nelson A. Miles is transferred from the colonelcy of the 4th . R-giment, and pl ace d i n comman d o f t h e s t h Regiment, vice Ge n . B u t ter fi e ld , who, i t i s expecte d , will resign, as he will be sent abroad as a foreign minister. Gen. W. B. Hazen, of Fort M'Allister fame, is transferred from the 38th Regiment and given the command of the 64th Regiment, vice D. L. Floyd Jones, who goes on the list of supernu meraries. Col. John 'l'. Sprague is retired from the 7th Regiment, and command of the same given to Gen. John Gibbon, formerly commander of the 25th Corps in the Potomac Army. The Bth Regiment remains in the command of Col. J. T. Born ford. The 9th Regiment, which has been stationed in California for many years, retains Colonel J. 11. King as its Commander. The Colonelcy of the 10th Regiment is given to 11. B. Clitz, recently promoted from Lieutenant-Colonel, vice Colonel E. B. Alex ander, placed on the List of supernumeraries. General A. C. Gillem, one of Johnson's pet gene rals, and who opposed reconstruction while in com mand of the Military District of Missis,ippi and Arkansas, is transferred from the 24th Regiment and put in charge of the 11th Regiment, vice Colonel W. S. Ketchum, placed on the list of supernumeraries. General 0. B. Wilox is trans= ferred from the 29th Regiment, and given the Colonelcy of the 12th Regiment, vice Augur, promoted to Brigadier-General. The 13th Re giment remains in command of Colonel J. V. D. Reeve. Colonel Charles S. Lovell remains Colonel of the 14th Regiment. General 0. L. Shepherd, who did good service while in command of the State of Georgia, remains in command of the 15th Regiment. General Galusha Pennypackcr is trans ferred from the 34th Regiment, and succeeds Colonel C. C. Sibley as Colonel of the 16th Regi ment. General lleintzelman's old regiment, before he was retired, is given to Gen. T. Cullender, for merly in command of the 32d Regiment. Gen. T. H. Rugor is transferred from the 33d to succeed Col. H. B. Carrington as Colonel of the 18th Regi ment. The 19th Regiment is placed under coin mand of Gen. C. U. Smith, formerly of the 28th Regiment, vice Col. Samuel R. Dawson, placed on list of supernumeraries. Gen. George Sykes, re cently promoted from Lieut.-Colonel, is made Colonel of the 20th R eg i me nt, vice Frederick Steele. The 21st Regiment remains under command of Gen. Geo. Stoneman. Gen. D. S. Slanley retains com mand of the 22d Regiment. Gen. Jeff. C. Davis, now in Alaska, re ma i ns i n comman d o f th e 23d Regiment. The 24th Regiment is placed in com mand of Gen. R. J. Mackenzie, of cavalry fame in the army of the Potomac, vice Gillman, transferred. The 25th Regiment is placed in command of Gen. J. A. Mower, vice Gordon Granger, put among the supernumeraries. Gens. John D. Stevenson, P. R. De Trobriand, Abner Doubleday, Daniel E. Sickles, John C. Robinson, T. G. Pitcher, and Wager Swayne lose their commands by the consolidation. We regret to learn of the death, at Washington, of Colonel Lawrence, Consul-General for the United States in Italy. He left Florence in excellent health be fore Christmas, for his native country on leave of absence, and his death, which was wholly unexpected, has cast a gloom over his many English and American friends. His father, Mr. Abbot Lawrence, was at one time American Minister in England, and Colonel Lawrence was a great favourite, not only with his countrymen, but everywhere throughout Italy. LUXURIANT AND BEAUTIFUL ITAIR.—M RS. S. A. ALLEN'S WORLD's HAIR RESTORER OR DRESSING never fails to quickly restore Grey or Faded Hair to its youthful colour and beauty, and with the first application a beautiful gloss and de lightful fragrance is given to the Hair. It stops the Hair from falling off. It pre.rents baldness. It promotes luxuriant growth; it causes the Hair to grow thick and strong. It removes all dandruff. It contains neither oil nor dye. In large Bottles— Price Six Shillings. Sold by most Chemists and Perfuiners, Depot 266, High Holborn METROPOLITAN GOSlP.—Mursday. The schism in the Conservative party is serious. The Carlton Club meeting, which the Record announced, did actually take place, and great is the disgust of the High Tories at the position in which they find themselves placed. The more hot-headed members of the party, including at least one English prelate, are urging their friends in Ireland to raise the " green flag "—to shout for a repeal of the Union. Of course they do not wish any such revolution as that, but they think the cry will frighten the Liberals, and indeed they are already declaring that their tactics have had this result. It must be confessed that this is playing with very sharp-edged tools indeed. No one knows this better than Mr. Disraeli and Lord Stanley. These two politicians find it impossible to sympathise with their followers as regards the Irish Church, and are, there fore, naturally averse from committing themselves to a manoeuvre so dangerous as the one I have mentioned. The consequence is that Mr. Hardy is the man of the hour, is the idol of the Squires. Nor is this surprising. He is of the Squires squiry. He is of robust, manly person, has a good command of language, is resolute and straight forward in his language, abhors a paradox as much as a philosopher abhors a pun, is troubled with no considerations about the future, but sees less shame in being beaten for what he believes a good cause than in winning with what he holds to be a bad one. In fact, he is the very incarnation of that frank, manly country gentleman whom we all admire so much on the magistrates' bench, but who is not quite the man for the Treasury Bench. However, the sceptre has not yet quite departed from Mr. Disraeli, and it is possible that it may not do so at all, though the Daily News will not give him five years' purchase of it. He has issued a circular, conven ing a meeting of the party on Monday, in order to consider what shall be done with the Irish Church Bill in com mittee. The Spofforth-Aytoun plot has signally failed. Not all the ravings of the Record, the Rock, and the Adver tiser, nor the intrigues of the very able, but occasionally too clever, agent of the Conservative party have succeeded in bringing about an alliance betweeen the Conservative Squires and the Scotch Liberals. The latter body will, I hear, have nothing to do with Mr. Aytoun, and so his performance on the present occasion is likely to be an even more signal fiasco than that of last session. The fact that Monday's meeting takes place at Lord Lonsdale's house, or houses rather, for he has two of the mansions in Carlton-house-terrace, gives rise to not a little speculation. Of course Arlington House was out of the question anyway, even if it were not being pulled down, for Lord Salisbury in tends to support the bill. , But why was not Lord Derby's house chosen? It is quite large enough to hold the 270 and odd gentlemen who now constitute the Conservative party. The inference is that Lord Stanley's speech at Glasgow has had not a little to do with the matter. He declared that resistance to the bill was hopeless. It would, there fore, have been somewhat strange if his father's house had been used for a meeting summoned to consider resistance. The course which the Lords will take is not known even to themselves. The Bishop of Oxford has been vainly endeavouring to persuade his brother prelates not to vote against the bill on the second reading. That astute pre late knows well that the Bishops are endangering their position by maintaining a prolonged opposition to the measure. Nevertheless, with all his eloquence, lie could not persuade more than two of his brethren to support his policy, and it was defeated by a large majority. Thus it came to pass that when the Times published the preva lent rumour as to the abstention of the Bishops, the Bishop of London caused an authoritative denial to be made in a Conservative weekly paper. At the same time it is by no means certain that they will vote against the bill. They, like their temporal brethren, wait for the chapter of accidents ; and, as Lord Wharncliffe said the other day, not even Lord Derby knows what the Lords will do. The Marquis of Salisbury, as I have said, will support the bill, and it is fully expected that the Earl of Carnarvon will follow the example of his col league. While I was at the House of Commons yesterday it became known that Mr. Kavanagh was to be the next speaker onl Mr. M`Mahon's Union Chargeability Bill. As Mr. Kavanagh has no legs upon which he can rise to catch the Speaker's eye, and not even arms by which he may attract attention, it was necessary to give previous notice of his wish to address the House, and it was arranged beforehand that Mr. Denison should call upon him. A good deal of interest was naturally excited as soon as the member for Carlow county began to speak, and his observations were well received. They displayed a good deal of keen thought, but they were delivered in so low a tone that few persons could hear them, The House listened with marked atten tion, and, in some way which does them great credit, the reporters picked up his observations. Mr. Kavanagh has a fine head, with which he may do good work to the State, and it is not unlikely that he may take a position as a politician. He sits on the Conservative side of the House. I hope that now Mr. Layard has got over his honeymoon he will have time to look after the parks. When Lord John Manners was in office, he, being partial to inequali ties, both physical and social, expended his energies in raising artificial mountains of from ten to fifteen feet high, which, very unsightly in themselves, have the effect of spoiling some of the prettiest views in the Londoners' pleasure-grounds. This deforming process has been carried on especially in Regent's Park, where the charming view of the lake is quite hidden from one of the principal walks, and the houses in Chester -terrace are shut out from their look out over the chesnui, avenue by a monstrous and hideous mound, which seems as if it were endeavouring to imitate that most unpoetical of eminences, Primrose Hill. The same kind of work is going on now in Hyde Park, and I have been amus e d to notice in my daily walks the rate of pro gress which is being made in this Herculean feat. It has taken from six to eight men, I am a f ra id to say h ow many weeks, to remove a few yards of grass from one part of the park to another. One man would dig his spade in, and pare off, a turf, amid the admiring gaze of his half-a dozen colleagues ; and when they had done wondering and applauding, they would take counsel as to whether another turf should not be removed, and, after due delibe ration, the operation would be repeated, amidst fresh approbation and delight ; and so da capo. The result is two bare pat c hes of ground, which wou ld have been nearly as large as the park it se lf , b ut for t h e h ap py arrangement under which labourers are paid, not by the piece, but by the day. This has been a great week for artists. Most of them have thrown their studios open to their friends so as to give these an opportunity of seeing the works about to be sent to the Academy- On Tuesday evening Piccadilly was blockaded with cabs full of the precious products of the easel, for it was the last night of reception. The number of works sent in is likely to be larger than usual, for every one wishes to have a place in the new gallery. Al a s, the number of rejections is likely to be larger than usual, for the R.A.' s h ave d e termined not to mak e use o f their additional sp ace , b u t t o b e just as exclusive as ever. One of the studios has beeen honoured with the presence of royalty, Mr. Leighton having had two visits from the Queen herself. On Monday there was a large gathering at Mr. E. M. Ward's, at Kent House, Notting-hill. He exhibits the most highly-finished painting he has ever painted, the subject being the first introduction to Court of Grinling Gibbons, the famous wood-carver. Nevertheless, I think there is more power in another work of Mr. Ward's, a very large picture of Luther, as a young man, studying the Bible. " Beatrice," in "Much Ado About Nothing," is a charming portrait o f a ver y c harming lady, once known to the world a s Mi ss T err y, now as Mrs. Lewis. Mr. Ward's fourth picture is a sketch of his fresco in the House of Commons, representing General Monk declaring for a Free Parliament. Mrs. Ward has only one picture, but that is a chef d'ceuvre. It represents the Young Pretender s t and i ng o n the step of a state carriage, and receiving the homage of some aged refugees who are living 'in France and are in a state of great poverty. The contrast between the gorgeous sur roundings of the little Stuart and the poor attire of his devoted partisans, as well as between his fresh youth and their worn and aged countenances, is very striking. The grouping and the colouring are alike most admirable. The governess who attends on the Prince is a portrait of the wife of a well-known journalist. Mr. Millais, I am glad to say, w ill no t be wholly unrepre sented. In spite of hi s severe illness he will have two pictures, one of th em " V an essa," a companion to last year's " Stella." Mr. Orchardson has already sold for 1,000 guineas his picture of an ante-room of_ an art patron in the middle ages. This year's exhibition in Suffolk-street is better than last year's ; but it sorely needs weeding. There are not far short of a thousand pictures, and a considerable proportion of them certainly did not deserve hanging. The most striking works are the large Swiss pictures of J. P. Pettit and Edwin Pettit. " The First Snow " of the former artist and " The Matterhorn" of the latter are really remarkable works. Mr. G. Cole's " Evening" is one of the gems of the exhibition. Among the best, too, must be placed Clint's " Littlehampton at Sunset ;" about half of Cobbett's series of eight pictures ; Valentine Bromley's " Against Orders ;" Roberts's " Night before Bosworth ;" Walters's two river scenes ; Girardot's " De lighted Lovers ;" and Hayllar's " Little Briton," a com panion picture to " The Rover " of last year. We have had the strangest weather to-day. The early morning was wet and warm. At a quarter before eleven there came a sudden darkness over the whole city, and in ten minutes we had passed from noon to denaest, darkest night. The atmosphere in the streets was not thick, but the sun was as completely hidden as though it had been blotted out of creation. The steamers had to stop running in the river ; it was almost dangerous for cabs to ply ; small boys chaffed the policemen, saying, " Bobby, where is :Your bull's eye ?" The only place where there was light was in the Underground Rail way. The feelings of a bridal party suddenly overtaken by darkness in church can be better imagined than de scribed. Fortunately it did not last much more than an hour, so that there was light as well as sweetness for the bridal feast. MISCELLANEOUS NEWS. TIIE POWER OF A PROPRIETOR. Great indignation has been expressed at a piece of tyranny lately exercised at Arkley, near Barnet. Arkley possesses an episcopal chapel, erected by the late Mr. Durant, silk mercer. It is neither consecrated nor endowed, but is merely licensed. Its present proprietor, the son of the founder, has the right of presentation and removal, a right he seems deter mined to exercise. The congregation pays for its minister and for the services through pew-rents, and by the offertory. It is by no means beholden to Mr. Durant. The minister has called the congre gation together, has been zealous in his work, :aid obtained the esteem of his flock. But Mr. Durant, by the sole act of his will, suddenly sends to the minister, saying that he intends to displace him immediately. " Why ?" the congregation asks. Mr. Durant can give no reason—can only hope that the coming incumbent will, at the end of eight years. be liked as well as the present nnc` is now. ENGINEERING. Engineers are now-a-days perpetually startling us by some amazing novelty. Before the Suez Canal has become un fait accompli, before success is certain, we have quite as wonderful a proposal—a scheme to intersect Ireland by a ship canal. Liverpool men are said to be canvassing in favour of the adoption of the plan. It is suggested that the canal should be made between Galway and Dublin. The distance between the two ports is about 100 miles, the ground flat, and it is understood that no engineering difficulties of moment are in the way, while a large amount of time would be saved, and danger and shipwreck avoided. Americans offer to raise the whole money in the United States. THE GUN TRADE. The gunmakers of Birmingham are much dissatis fied. The Enfield factory has grown so large as to be absorbing the work which used to be done in the town represented by the President of the Board of Trade. The men have made several applications to the Government in the matter, but without avail. Another was made on Wednesday to Mr. Cardwell. He could not give them any satisfactory answer, however, but pointed out that th e E n fi e ld establishment was working at a lower rate than usually—in fact, at the lowest rate at which it could reasonably be kept open. So far, therefore, the present depression did not lie at the door of the Government. He was not permitted to make any promise, but he might appeal to the fact that Government had very recently given out an order for small arms to Birmingham over and above the present requirements for the service. The depu tation seemed to think that it would be better if the Enfield establishment were shut up altogether. Mr. Bright (who accompanied Mr. Cardwell) thought not, for if the Enfield establishment were to be shut up, it would throw a large number of skilled hands into the Birmingham trade as competitors. OUR INDIAN EMPIRE. On Wednesday Sir Vincent Eyre read a paper at the Royal United Service Institution, White hall-yard, on " The Rise and Progress of the Affghan War." Lord Lawrence was pre sent, and Sir R. Murchison was in the chair. After taking an historical survey of the affair, be shewed that our position in Affghanistan was a false one, and fraught with danger in many ways. We should be careful for the future not to play at our favourite old game of opposition to Russian progress in Central Asia. The fears which were entertained respecting the interference of Russia in the East were, he considered, groundless, and the inhabitants of India would not desire to change European masters, and be under the dominion of the Czar. For generations to come the Russian forces must neces sarily be too insecure to undertake any wild enter prises in the direction of Affghanistan. In con clusion, he advised our authorities to look to the assailable points of the Indus, and to maintain friendly relations with the subjects of Affghanistan. Sir R. Murchison proposed a vote of thanks, and declared that the Russian Emperor was peaceably inclined, and had given solemn assurances that he would never attempt to approach Affghanistan. POLAR EXPEDITIONS. With regard to the various Polar Expeditions now talked about, Dr. Wallace, of Liverpool, has written to the Telegraph suggesting a new course to the Pole. Ile has spent a summer in the polar regions, and has gathered a good deal of information from experienced whalers in the Arctic Seas. He thinks the best course to pursue is to penetrate the thick belt of ice which lies along the eastern coast of Greenland to what sailors call the West Land, where a wide open sea has generally been found skirting the Greenland shore. The belt of ice presents the only difficulty, but in one season, which will admit an open passage to the east of Spitzbergen, a dozen will be found with an open sea leading to the West land. If that water is reached, a st eamer co uld run north to its utmost limits in a f ew d a y s ; a travelling party might then leave the ship safely moored, and travel on the land to the Pole, if land extends so far. Such are the main outlines of D r . Wallace's scheme, wh ich deserves the attention of Arctic navigators. HARD TO PLEASE. Our American cousins, or let us say b rethren, are hard to please. We used to snake them angry because we held them up to ridicule. They are now angry because we hold them up to admiration. They were "riled " when Mrs. Trollope and Mr. Dickens made fun of them, and' now they are " riled " because English visitors flatter them. They complain that we are too " condescending,' that we go to them expecting to see people of vulgar manners and slangy speech, and when we find that it is not everyone who addresses us as " old hoss," and that their young ladies are not accustomed to express their approval by such terms as " right smart," we are surprised, and manifest our emotion in a patronising manner that is almost more offensive than our insulting caricatures. This is the burden of the last very interesting letter from the New York correspondent of the Daily News. But, after all, the Americans should see in our compliments at least a sign of improvement. We are clumsy, no doubt, and we ought to dissemble our love for our relations better than we do. Perhaps if we had done so we should not now be having the fragments of the torn Clarendon-Johnson treaty thrown into 011 V f aces. TLIE IRISIT There is to b e an important meeting next Tuesday with reference to the Irish Church. It will be a conference of the several dioceses of the Church, and will be attended by laymen as well as by c l ergymen. Among the l a y delegates are Lord James Butler, Mr. Cecil Guinness Sir E. Grogan , Mr. Hamilton, Sir Joseph N a pi er 'the Hon. D. P lunkett, the Master of the R o ll s , Sir F. Shaw, t h e Vice-Chancellor, and General Dunne. In Monaghan a . meeting of " all denominations" has been held, at which the follow ing resolution was passed :—" That we shall con tinue to uphold the legislative Union between Great Britain and Ireland so long as the inter national compact is respected and held inviolable by the British Parliament; but, should the fifth article of the Treaty of Union—which is expressed to be essential, fundamental, and perpetual—be repealed, we shall be forced to regard the Union as virtually dissolved." After this, the " loyal Protestants" of Ireland will never be able to reproach the Nationalists for desiring to repeal the Union. Clearly, the second have as much right to urge that change for political, as the first have for ecclesiastical, reasons. EXCITED ORANGE3IEN. The Hanover-square Rooms have for some months past resounded once a fortnight with the eloquence of Mr. Edward Harper, " Grand Master of the Orange Institution of Oreat Britain." Hitherto no influential journal has thought these meetings worth notice, but the Times, by way of sheaving what an Orange meeting is like, has given a report of the last of these gatherings. Mr. Harper wore an Orange sash, so did many other persons present. There were plentiful allusions to " the pious and immortal memory" of William 111. (who, by the way, was so pious that even his great admirer, Lord Macaulay, admits that he was an adulterer), to the " crossing of Boyne water," and similar historical incidents, which provoked the usual outburst of Kentish fire. Mr. Harper attributed the levelling-up policy to Lord Russell and Mr. Gladstone, and said that Lord Mayo, in suggesting it, was but following out their proposal. He magnified the three-quarters cf a million of Irish Protestants into double that number, and upbraided the English Dissenters, who a of course, are all Jesuits in disguise, with aiding the present bill, which has been described as " the thin end of the Popish wedge." Mr. Charley, who was the only M.P. present, accidentally gave the Dissenters a very good reason for not joining with the Orange men, for he said that the first thing to be done was to " strike a blow at the very heart of the Libera tionists." He declared that the majority of 118 was "a tyrant majority," and must be got rid of. This defender of the Irish Church prefers a tyrant minority. He said that there were thousands of Protestants who thought Mr. Gladstone was "a traitor to his Queen, his country, and his God," and he would not say so merely because it was 44 unpar liamentary." There was much talk about the Act of thliQn Actlittlogwaa. dila9.._.copti.qti9A,A?wt Act one thought of explaining now tne country got on seventy years ago, when there was no Act of Union. Great importance was attached to the Irish Church as the prop of Protestantism, but no one attempted to shew how a Church, whose chief merit, according to Mr. Disraeli, is that it has nothing to do with proselytising, can advance Protestantism amid a Homan Catholic population. Altogether the meeting was as excited, illogical, and absurd as even Cardinal Cullen could have wished. He ought to pay Messrs. Harper and Charley for the skill with which they revolt all men of common sense and common fairness. He should also, however, insist that on a f u t ure oc c asion Mr. Murphy should not be prevented speaking. The refusal to hear him was the only sensible proceeding of the whole meeting, and to render future meetings more effectual for the Cardinal's purpose, the pugi listic apostle should be allowed to talk as long as ho pleases. AN APT SCHOLAR. Well done Serjeant Sleigh ! A very few years ago lie was an advanced Liberal, and used to diversify his Old Bailey business with occasional excursions to Liberal constituencies in want of a can didate. No man was more proficient than lie in the whole creed of Liberalism. He had it at his fingers' ends, could roll it off his tongue as glibly as though he had been at politics all his life. Bu fcir some reason or other the constituencies did not want Mr. Sleigh. They were fitly punished by loss of office, and. the Conservatives believing in the enterprising ad v ocate, he offered them faithful service, and fought two battles for them with signal ill success. Now that the Liberals are back again at Downing-street, it might have been expected that Mr. Sleigh would have re sumed his first principles. But the Conservatives were wise in their generation, they made Mr. Sleigh a serjeant : and thus established some sort of claim upon this erratic politician. He has now just been down to Huddersfield (one of the boroughs he vainly tried to represent), and has made a speech of the true Constitutional kind. There was Maynooth, and the Constitution, and the Monarchy (in capital letters), and much talk about pillars and bulwarks of the English Throne, and martyrs and streams of blood, and a quotation from " King John " by way of conclusion. In fact, the Serjeant: had got up his brief thoroughly, with one exception. He referred to Shakespere as "the great bard of 200 years ago." No doubt this was a poetical license. The Serjeant thought that it was a delicate flattery of a " pious and immortal memory " to make the greatest of English poets a contemporary of Dutch William. THE PALACE AT WESTMINSTER. The discovery of the entire unsuitability of the present House of Commons is raising discussion in several directions. First, as to the matter itself, is the present House large enough ? If not, how should a new House be constructed ? The first question may by no means be considered as settled. The House of Commons is large enough to hold all its members, but it does not give every one a speaking place. Is it advisable or needful that this should be" given ? The House is full to overflowing only on certain great days. The number of speakers is then few, and they can easily be heard in the galleries. Even if it is advisable to have more room on the floor, more room can be obtained by a rearrange ment of the House. Such are the arguments against change. But the members themselves, the old ones especially, find the present state intolerable. How can the nation expect its legisla tors to do justice if they are being worried night after night by such petty things as not finding a s eat ? The moral of the matter is given by "An Archi tect," in the Times. In building the Houses of Parliament, he says, a national monument was required. A demand was made for the duke rather than the utile. We have the former, and the Palace at Westminster will descend to all time as a memorial of the present age. But we have not got what was really wanted after all. Let us take warning, then, from the present failure, and in our law courts look rather to the useful than to mere msthetics. FOREIGN NOTES. 111217BLICAN MOVEMENTS IN ITALY. , _ The Florence correspondent of the Herald confirms in every particular the information given by our Rome con respondent respecting Republican agitation in Italy. The nth of March, St. Joseph's clay, sacred to the patron saint of both Garibaldi and Mazzini, passed off quietly, because the authorities took special precautions ; but it is tot the less certain that the party of action has for some time been making preparations for a general outbreak at the first propitious moment. The committees correspond ing with the Mazzinians centred at Lugano are busily working in every direction. But the hope of success seems small indeed. The facts brought to light at Piacenza, at Faenza, at Ravenna, and, more recently still, at Naples, on a still larger scale, have placed some of the principal threads of this complicated web in the hands of the police. These are not likely to be taken by surprise. REDUCTION OF TIIE AUSTRIAN ARMY. A telegram from Vienna informs us that a further reduc tion of the standing army of Austria is to be effected bypost poning a,- calling out of the recruits. Although the last army reor ganisation law established a full A us t r i an force of more than a million men, the standing- army was made comparatively small—lower than that of Prussia,, and not more than three-fiftlis as large as that of Prance. This further reduction is decidedly a pacific symptom. It is primarily a measure of economy, but it is not likely that economical considerations would prevail if there was serious danger of war. GERMANY. A very significant vote has just been taken in the Bavarian Chamber of Deputies at Munich. The Govern. ment recently brought in a Money Bill, for the purpose of raising nearly half a million sterling to be devoted as an extraordinary credit to military purposes. The bill was submitted to a commission which recommended that instead of half a million the Chamber should vote less than one-fourth that sum. The Chamber has taken the advice, and has, by a vote of 63 to 52, declared £llO,OOO to be enough for extraordinary military purposes. The Bavarians are not disposed to have their country transformed into a military camp. THE SPANISH THRONE. It is officially announced that Dom Fernando has finally refused to accept the Spanish Crown upon any terms whatever. The proiect of a commission which was to set out for Lisbon in order to ]ay this dangerous present before the Portuguese prince has been abandoned. Had the com missioners started they might possibly have met with a "warm" reception. The Portuguese were much opposed to Dom Fernando becoming King of Spain. They appre hended, not without reason, that an Iberian Union would be the inevitable result; and the idea of Portugal thus becoming a Spanish province is most repugnant to them. The excitement, in fact, was so great that the commis sioners would have been in great danger of ill-treatment. What the Spanish Ministry will do now is a most impor tant question. The Independance Belge says that Prim and his colleagues persuaded Serrano and Topete to consent to this offer of the crown to Dorn Fernando, but Prim's party seemed unwilling to promise that if the Portuguese prince refused Montpensier should become King. Another hypothesis put forth by some authorities deserves attention. It is affirmed that this offer has been made to Dora Fernando, ;a the certainty that he would refuse, in order that the Duke of Montpensier might be the more readily accepted. THE BELGIAN RAILWAY AFFAIR. The French Ministers are doing their best to gild the pill of cone ession which M. Fr6re-Orban is to swallow. On Monday he dined with M. de Lavalette, and after dinner, says the Indepenclance Beige, the affairs of the two nations were dis cussed at great length. What was done on this occasion does not transpire, but it is quite clear that the progress made was not great. On Tuesday there was another dinner, and more talk at M. Rouher's. On Wednesday M. Frdre-Orban and M. Rouher lid another interview, which must have taken place before dinner, seeing that some business was done. The French Government, we are informed, indicates its wishes without bringing them to any formal proposition. The initiative of settle ment is left to the Belgian Cabinet. But the French Minister of State did not fail to again put forth the treaties with the railway companies as an essential part of the solution. So far from the leasing of Belgian lines to French companies being disadvantageous to the interests of Belgium, M. Rouher held that the issue would be quite the reverse. M. Frere-Orban brought arguments against this theory. M. Rouher very courteously, but very energeti cally, combatted these arguments, The question stands precisely where it did. The Belgian Legislature has given King Leopold's Ministry the power to veto any ,he lease of a B e l g i an ra il way to foreign compan i e s. The French Government insists that in the case of the Luxem bourg R a il way t h e veto shall not b e exerc i se d. The mixed commission is not constituted, nor is it likely to be at present. Before the commission is nominated the Govern ments must determine what business is to be laid before it. THE UNITED STATER. It is expected that the great railroad across the North American continent will be opened throughout during the summer. The work is carried on eastward and westward with great rapidity, the Central Pacific line from the west meeting the Union Pacific from the east. On the Ist of January the Union Pacific Railway had constructed its line westward from Omaha, Nebraska, 055 miles ; and the Central Pacific Railway had built its line eastward 445 miles from Sacramento, Cali fornia. This left between the termini of the lines a gap of 319 miles yet to be built. On the 24th of March, how ever, the Union Pacific Railway had extended its road 35 miles further westward, and the Central Pacific Rail way was built 152 miles further eastward. This leaves only 82 miles to complete the most stupendous railway THE "MORNING POST" ON ME TENVRE-OF OFFICE ACT. (From the Anglo-American Times) This is the article alluded to in our leader, which , as a sample of English knowledge of Amerian sub' jects, is worth preserving :—" President Grant hag sustained his first defeat at the hands of the House of Representatives. It will no doubt be in the re; collection of all that during the Presidentship ° I Andrew Johnson Congress thought proper to pas t e a measure very seriously curtailing the authority 01 the Chief Magistrate in dealing with such of his Ministers as lost his confidence, and that, notwith' standing the President's veto, the measure became „ law. According to the Constitution the Presi !es t may appoint the 'd inisters of State, but the appoint' merits must be ratified by the Senate in order t° acquire validity. The powsr of dismissing the°, was, however, until the passing of the Tenure ei Office Act, reserved absolutely to the President: but when that measure was adopted this power svas practically transferred to the Senate. It will also he remembered that it was Mr. Johnson's con ttor talons disregard for this statute, in dismissing - .Mr' Stanton from the orrice of Secretary of 'War, whir l! filled the vial of wrath against him and led to to' impeachment. It is, however, one of the pee n liarities of the American Constitution that a I_i"'' though passed with all due formality by the Pr e " sident and both Houses of Congress, is not n eces' sarily binding, and it is open to any citizen t° call it in question as inconsistent with the Coo' stitution, and refer the point thus raised for th e consideration of the Supreme Court, which tri' bunal, if it deems the objection valid, thereupo n quashes the law. It was consequently urged vit h much force, on Mr. Johnson's impeachment, tha t the President was as well entitled as any other citizen to violate the law for the purpose of aseer' taining, by appeal to the Supreme Court, whether it was consistent with the Constitution or no t ' and that the article of the Impeachment, based 00 his dismission of the Secretary of War, could not , in consequence, be sustained. The President wa g acquitted by a single vote, Mr. Secretary Stanto n retired, and the legality of his dismission by th e President was never referred to the Supreil Court. At the time when the Act in question via e passed no one entertained a doubt that it was pro' yoked by the obnoxious character of the President, • and that the large Republican majority assented t° it, partly to restrain the action of• a Chief in whom they had lost confidence, and partly in order t°_, wound his pride. These facts not unnaturally le ° , to the conclusionthat the measure was only intende to be temporary, and would be rescinded as soon o' a President was chosen who commanded the con' fidence of the dominant faction. The Republica ! ! party selected General Grant as their candidate a' the Presidential election, and he was triumphant returned. A variety of circumstances tended t ° make him extremely popular, and probably no may has entered the White House for the past half cell" tury with the approb a ti on o f so l arge a sect i o n 0. his fellow.citizens as General Grant. By thos e who gave it a thought the Tenure-of-Office Ac t : which deprived the President of all control ore' his own Ministers, must have been considered 0° the 4th of March as being as good as repealed General Grant, as a military man, and one acing" tomed to enforce obedience from his subordinate s ' naturally regarded this singular statute with pea' liar aversion. Immediately after entering on offic e he made no secret of his feelings on the sub' ject ; he declar e d th a t th e occas i on w hi c h had called for it had p asse d away , an d i nt i ma t e d a svis`ul) that one of the first legislative acts of Congres7, should be to repe a l it. he Senate manifests" their concurrence in these sentiments by introduc" ing a measure which, though not absolutely re; ' scinding the ob nox i ous statute, d epr i ved i t o f it sting—without, ho wever , g i v i ng to t h e President all the powers which hi s pre d ecessors h a d enjoyeu. It provided that the President, though still de; barred from absolutely removing his officers, shout be enabled, without assigning reasons, to suspe°, them and appoint succes sors , suc h appo i ntm en" being, of course, subject t o th e approva l o f rh e i Senate. It was also provided that the rejection 0 the newly-appointed i n di v id ua l s s h ou ld have the effect of reinstating those who had been suspended It must be admitt e d th a t thi s measure was COtn,sl paratively mild, and fell f ar s h or t o f w h a t Genet . "' Grant would have desired. It is not improbabl e ! however, that the Senate had reason to believe tba' an act of repeal would not have been assented 1 in the Lower House, and they w e re desi r ous making it sufficiently palatable to secure the ac; ceptance of the latter. But be this as it may, 't a b / bill passed the Senate on 'Wednesday last by a o against 16 votes, and was then sent down to th House of Rep resen t a ti ves . Th ere, however, it W 3, "; less fortunate. We are unacquai n t e d with svbsf; passed in th e course o f t h e d e b ate to which it gra''o rise, the grounds on which it was opposed or 01, political bias of the m em b ers who opposed it, 10. the result was that on S a t ur d ay t h e bil l , thrown out in the House of Representatives bi t 99 against 70 vo t es . I t i s not easy at pres et? , to say what may be the precise significance of OP, vote. It was nat ura l th at D emocrats w h o oppo se' the Tenure-of-Oflice act in the first instance, be , cause it was intended as a slight upon 1 1 r,' sident Johnsonoppose , should now its repeal P ., the interests of President Grant. But why a nut l ' her of Republicans, sufficiently large to secure majority, should have joined them in order to thro' out the measure is not sufficiently clear. To the chiefs of the Republican party General Grant 1 1 ; 1 ; questionably gave great umbrage by the singular? s• independent manner i n w hi c h he f ormed his C3131' net. Instead of summoning to his councils thos e who had chiefly aided him in attaining his preseo t position, and who, by th e i r po li t i ca l antecedent"' might not unreasonably have expected to 0 1° been sent for, he selected f or hi s advisers wed who, for the most part, were unknown in the Parliamentary world. So great an innovation lo°' l ,, not only have startled, but nettled, th ose w h o we r , l " - prepared to give him the warmest support, a°.,," 6 to place in him the most implicit confidence. k t is therefore far from improbable th a t when It was proposed to relieve him of the restrictions iU posed on the late President in dealing with Ministers - of State and other officers, they glasW, availed themselves of the opportunity of showillo their own strength and demonstrating his own ( l c : pendence on them. However this may be, it is little unfortunate that at the very outset of Genera a Grant's Presidential career an e ven t should 110: happened which will be uni versa ll y regar d e d as: collision between the President and his Congres s ' Whether the Tenu re - o f-Offi ce A ct b e a goo d ° bad statute, and we consider that it is the l a tter, : i bill ought not to hav e b een i n t ro d uce d f or i ts re pea l unless its acceptance by both Houses was almost ' , matter of certainty. It is not pleas an t f o r a sveh:, meaning President to be told a fortnight after be has entered office that Congress has so little cong; dence in him that it will no t gran t hi m th e powers enjoyed by all his predecessors with the exceptio° of one, whom it was deemed expedient to impeael o ' Yet such in effect is the substantial meaning of th vote passed on Saturday in th e H ouse o f R e Pre' sentatives." [ADVERTISEMENT.]—fIenceforth no one will doubt the valttsl? properties of Du Barry's health-restoring Revalenta Arabi Invalids' and Infants' s!nce to the thousands of blessin , o it has already recei ve d fron Inva':ds V10::0 position had be e ,,, deemed ho72'.es, we may no w add that, of his Holiness the P 0 1 ) 0 7( whose bas been perfectly restore d b y it a ft er thi r t y years iii t i\ t i n id su i, c " cessful medical treatment. We quo from the " Gazet ./ July 250 a :—" Rome, .luly 21,1336. - The width of the 1. 0. „, / , Father is e7canent, es recially since, abandoning all other re o 7, dies, he has conline:l himself entirely to Da B'rry's Revaleno, Ara'aica, Food, of which he consumes a plate: al at every Ill e ti a It has produced a surpr:singlybeneilcial e.Tect o his health, his Holiness cannot prai:e tYs excellent food OD highly." ',,r extract a few oat oThore .tan 63,000 cares:—Cane No. 55,216,,"4 the March'oness de Brehan, of seven yeai.'s' liver cen iplr! ,3 _7, , wasting away. debility, nervousness, with a nervouspalpitatlY„, all over, bad digestion, constant sleeplessness, and the most tolerable nervous agita:sion. Cure No 1.771: Lori Stuart Decies, Lord-Lie•Xenant oC Wraerford, of many years' dysper%.,,,, No. 49,832: "Fifty years' indescribable tt:3opy from dyspe•. ) _ s nervousness, asthma, cough, constipation, flatulency, spa:3;N, sickness, and vomiting —Maria Joly." Cure No. 270: ti o` jo , James Roberts, of Frimley, Surrey. of 30 years' er.seased lu,, spitting of blood, liver derangement, and p•:.r:"al deafness. 1 J portant Caution—Beware of the many unsavoury and more ti.a.,o sloppy imitations to which, without authority, Baron Lieblg name is most audaciously attached. 11A In tins, at ls. lid.; 1 lb. 2s. tal.• 2 lbs. 4s. 6d. • 5 lbs. lls • 12 „. 225. ; .14 ths, 40s, —Also Do BARRY' s REVALENTA ARAB: EA . bg oo 4 LATE POWDER is packed in tin canisters; for 12 cups ai; 25., cups at Is. 6d., for 48 cups at Gs., for '2BB cups at ,Os., for 576 c`. - .0 at 55s.—being about on e p enny per cup. The 30s. and .555. till are sent free of car r i age i n E ngland on receipt of Post Otu„ Order. - BARRY nu BARRY and Co., No. 77, Regent-street. 1,0 don; and all Grocurs and Chemists. Births. BEST—On the 7th inst., the wife of F. A. Best, Esq., Wattoe, Norfolk, of a son. of STRAUBENZEE—On the 7th inst., at Dover, the wifo Lieut.-Colonel Fredk. Van Straubenzee, of a son. Marriages. DOLPHIN— DOLPHIN —On tho 7th inst., at Putnoy, JA° Dolphin, Esq., eldest son of Captain Dolphin, late Brigade, to Jano Georgians, third daughter of General Ommanney, It.E. _„ O 4 ifuNTER—WEST—O n th e 3d i ns t ., at U pper Norre- - t i; Patrick Hunter, Esq., of Roden, Shropshire, to Elizttb 6 o f Ann, youngest dau g ht er o f t h e late John West, Little Bowden, Northamptonshire. Deaths. COLE-On the 6th i ns t ., at 1 4 2 , Mil e - en d- roa d, ro -1,04 Cole, Esq., aged 80. COLE—On the 6th i ns t. , a t 29 , S y d ney - s t ree t , BronlPfat Captain Robert Martin Cole, RN., aged 81. lIEYLIN—On the 6th inst., at Alexandria-road, NorWo°4' Alex. Heylin, Esq., aged 41. London : Printed and P thliehod by WILLILIII A1,11)110;6; of No. 112, Strand, Printor, at TRH SUN Odin, N° lof Strand, in the Precinct of the Se voy :n the itPti lt ' Blithilesin,—Friday, April 9, 1869. RINAITAI Thin celebrate prize Modal. it Pure, Mild Sold in Bottles the Agents in the 8, GREA' Observe the RE ban's LL Whisks M UTUAT (Irmo 14, ItUSSELI ADVANCES Mc hold or Leaseho able Weekly, mo Forms free on r( OA. AL R cmagiol_ C T i p it i l i i a., Mr. Arthnr Ti 'f OH,' onal Christy twist or th e (, y_ C. lturton the o —Miss Pack e r, M iss Lizzie liee Duettists —and 1 Notice. —M r . place on Wedn inau Will take r V ir ' . MAI NIADAAI Always New and Bed,: ACII kL. atul nutter ten, Cd • ARGyi 1(1 VE NI Rooms have he and Co. Tho an attractive Dance Music. Musical I THE abo Lunche 4 for deviling Lc ORIGINAL ASIIL Very Fine Pa Old Crushed Shipping), ' Sparkling Ch lery, Qualiti Sample eas bottles Sherr n B. E . next Consignee f( celebrated P: Bordeaux `Vi 'Whiskies, fr also he seen number of 11 of others war SCIENTI nRNAA ana gortment of licks, Inkst: &c., in Itali shin, Spar. TENNAN" W.C., Lone Mr. Tons MINERAT, of Lye ll's } tat tho i GEOLOG) guineas ofic PRAIITI I~4INLRAI 149, Strang T"E Offices- The Inv Fire Bever The model Bonus for value as render the leave is grl thirty day KING stri APPE AL penses. / QE A.MI off Gr Na'icns, -a The reci £879 less SUBSC Williams, the Secret street, Lo' Quail fie Governor, NA'n Ric Under the whereby Girls of all the kingde The obj( Rah edu cal and laund; Wise pro , / Imitable al The Cos entirely si Offtoe. 1 JUP Mai For 0 destitute and of prospero One h stitution Ineret endowk assistant Subsc Instituti its pecul the Secretor 0 ffice Banks lane ; al HEALT] DU a saves fii perfect refreshi most d effectua ennipti, rangon nervon catarrh rheum ralgia, heartly 119.11909 , fits, br the pit the mo for inv IMP( and m rity, 13 Patn Cui from flatul of T, 3 Cu !wry( V)'l,3