The Sun. — London, England, 1870-12-23 00:00:00

MOSES and SOWS NV INTER OVERCOATS, 19s, to £5. B OY'S OVERCOATS, 7s. 6d. to 465. T o MOSES and SON beg to remind the public . • that the cheapness of an article depends entirely on its lily. and they venture to say that their prices will compare favourably with thoso of any other i t ise in England. RuSlbil and SON'S /s OXFORD COATS, 17s. to 60s. CAILBRIDGE COATS, 10s. to 503. 1 ERT01:1 JA.Ofil'i:TS, 15s. to 425. SUMERLAND TICKETS, lOs. Gil. to 503. B USINESS SUM, 280. to 00s. EMOSES and SON'S easy and accurate system . of self-meaure enables theta to execute orders by post with the guarantee of a faultless Rt. E MOSES and SON'S FROCK CO ITS, 245. to 63e. PARTRIDGE AND COOPER, MANUFACTURING STATIONERS, 192, VLENT-STREET (00RNZE 01 CHANOHRT-LANV, LONDON (NM ). DIE PUBLIC SUPPLIED AT WHOLESALE PRICES, JARRIAGE PAID to the COUNTRY ON ORDERS OVER 20. Per ream. s. d. Fine Cream Laid Note; a cheap .—. 0 Superfine Cream Laid Note; much approved 4 0 Superfine Thick Cream Laid Note ;especially recommended 5 8 Extra Superfine DoubleThiek Cream Laid Note 7 0 Straw Paper, " Patent:" adapted for rapid writing 2 6 Large Commercial Note Papers. 36., 4s. 58., and 8 0 Foolscap Papers, blue or cream.......... 105. 6d., 12s. 6d., and 14 6 Outsides F0015cap...».....»«......««......«.....».».... 6 6 Letter Paper for scribbling rulealitto, 4 6 Tinted Lined Note ......... . . five quiree for ls. 6d., or 5 6 Now Vellum Wove "Club ...... ote, five quires for 2s. 6d. Superfine Cream or Blue Envelopes, .6 6d, be 6d, & 88 641 Large Blue Wove Commercial nvelopes, 4s 6d1... ..... per 1,000 Cheap Buff Colour, for circulars, &0., 8e.... ..... COLOUR STAMPING (Belief) reduced to Is. pe4loo. Polished steel dies sunk by the beat artists in the trade at about half the prices charged by the retail houses. An ILLUSTRATED CATALOGUE, containing full &weep don, with prices of Account Books, Copying Presses, Inkstands, Stationery, Cabinets, Postage Scales, Despatch Boxes, Travelling Writing Cases. Desks. poet free. Established 1841 DRESS COATS, 2ö s. to 60s. ORNING TROUSERS, lls. Ocl. to 21s. D RESS TROUSERS, 12s. 6d. to 265. NIOUBNING SUITS, 28a. to k 5. EMOSES and SON invita special atten tion • to their large stook of GEN TLEMEN'S DRESSING 11013138, at 18s. to 20 Guineas ; the assortment is unequalled for variety of materials and designs, and neatness and elegance of finish. - LI MOSES. and SON'S 11.4 • BOYS' CLOTHING : KNICKERBOCKER SUITS, 9s. 6d. to 40s. ETON SUITS, 16s. to 40s. BRi GHTON SUITS, 18s. to 485., 'DRESS SUITS, 253. to 635. FMOSES -and SON supply every descri p tion of • clothing, ready-made, or made to measure, for all ages, occasions, and all classes; also Hosiery and Drapery, Hats and Caps, Boots and Shoes, andcomplete outfits for all climates. All Goods marked in Plain Figures. Any title exchanged if not worn or injured. List of Prices, with Rules for Self-measure, Patterns, and Fashion-sheet, gratis and post-free. N. AIOSRS and SOll'S Establishments are closed every Friday evening at sunset till Saturday evening at sunset, when bus i ess is resumed until Eleven o'clock. `tile following are the only addresses of E. MOSES and SON : LONDON. CORNER of MINORLES and AIDGATE. lvv.W OXFORD-STREET, OORNER OF HART-STR EET. OORNER of TOTTENHAM ADOURT-ROAD and ELTSTON-FDAD. COUNTRY BRANCH. RADb'ORD. voiticurrnit. THEATRE ROYAL, DRURY LANE.- Sol. Lessee and Manager, F. B. Chatterton.—Morning Performances every Wednesday and Saturday, until Saturday, February 26th, inclusive.—On MONDAY, December 26 will be produced the Drury Lane Grand Combo CHRISTMAS ANNTJAL, written by R. L. Blanchard, entitled the DRAGON 0 2 WANTLEY I and Harlequin Old Mother Shipton ! with New and Characteristic Scenery by William Beverly, whose personal services are now exclusively devoted to illustrating the produo- Mons of this Theatre. The general action of the Pantomime arranged by, and the whole produced under , the di rection of Mr. Edward Stirling. Characters in the opening by Messrs. Fred. Yokes, H. Moreland, Charles Steyne, Fawdon Yokes, H. Naylor, Seymour, Firth, Meade, Webber, F. Wright, Master Russell ; Misses Victoria Yokes, Jessie Vokes, Rosins Yokes, Harriet Coveney, M. A. Baaquerville, A. Hamilton, Hall, Florence Harvey, De Grey, Ross, Timbrell, Elphinstone, Har court, Lee, Leslie, Mills, White, Burpitt, Rivers, Russell, Hastings. The Harlequinade will include those popular Pan tomimists, forming a Double Company, F. Evans, and W. H. Harvey, Clowns ; Paul Herring and J. Morris, Pantaloons ; W. Fawdon Yokes and Stonette, Harlequins ; the Misses Rosina and Jessie Vokes, Columbines ; Miss Lizzie Grosvenor, Har lequins. B. Slowman, Imitator of Birds, &c. Mr. H. Collard, the Pocket Blanc Reeves. Master Dassie, the Chickaleary Boy. E. D. Lyon, the Short Footman. Lawson and Garton, the French Pierrots. Master H. Rawlings, Clog Dancer. La Petrie, the Baby Veloolpedist. The Masks and Costumes from Designs by Vandyke Brown. The Music Composed and Selected by Mr. W. C. Levey. The Dances and Action of the Ballet, and the general business of the Children's Scenes, Invented and Arranged by Mr. John Cormaok. The Comic Scenes and Tricks, &c., arranged by Mr. John Cormack and Messrs. Evans and Harvey. Doors open at Half-past Six ; commence at Seven. Box-office open from Ten till Five daily. Private Boxes, 1,2, 5,4, and 5 Guineas. Stalls, 7s. Dress Circle, 55. First Circle, 4s. Balcony, 3s. Pit, 2s. Lower Gallery, ls. Upper Gallery, dd. THE DRAGON OF WANTLEY ; or, Harlequin Old Mother Shiton, will be produced on MONDAY, Deoember 28, and posi tively withdrawn on Saturday, February IL Places can be secured from the Bret until the last date. MORNING PERFORMANCES every WEDNESDAY and SATURDAY therefore, to prevent disappointment, an early application for seats is respectfully requested. Box-oftice open from Tie till Five daiIy.—THEATRE ROYAL DRURY LANE. MORNING PERFORMANCES of the Grand Pantomime, entitled the DRAGON OF WANTLEY, every Wednesday and Saturday. Children and Schools at re duced juices to the following parts of the Theatre ;—First Circle, Dress Circle, and Stalls. Box Office open bona 10 till 6 daily.— THEATRE ROYAL DRURY LANE. THEATRE ROYAL, HAYMARKET. --Thir tieth Night of a NEW FAIRY COMEDY. IHIS NYENING (Friday) and during the week, including Satur day (christmsa Eve) at Seven, the NI OLF AND THE lAMB. Messrs. Chippendale, Howe, W. Gordon, Madame E. Fitswilllam ; after which, at a quarter to Xight o'clock, a new Fairy Comedy, in Three Acts, entitled THE PALACE OF TRUTH. Characters by Mr. Buckstone, Messrs. Kendal, Everig. Clark Rogers, ~Braid, Mesdames Robertson , Chippendale, C. Hill, Fanny Wright, and-Fanny Gwynne. After which UNCLE'S WILL — Mr. Kendal and Miss Robertson. Concluding with FAMILY JARS. Box office open daily from 10 till& ADELPHI THEATRE ROYAL.—SoIe Pro prietor, Mr. BinaCKIN WSRSTrra ; Managers, Mr. B. and Mr. F. B. CHATTSRTON.—BOXING NIGHT, Monday, December 26, a new Drama , in One Act, entitled SMOKE. Mrs. Billington, Miss Furtado, Mr. Ashley, Mr. H. Stephenson, and Mr. Billington. After which, a new Balladic Burlesque, written by Mr. H. B. Farnie-- 1 -THE MISTLETOE BOUGH; or, LORD LOVEL,• LADY NANCY, or THE MILK WHITE STEED. New Scenery, Costumes, Music, 6tc. Mrs. A. Mellon, Miss Elise Holt, Mademoiselle Debreaux, Mdlle. Camilla Dubois, Miss Bella Moore, Miss Bellew, Mi. Brittain Wright, Mr. Odell, and Mr. John Rouse. And THE MILLINER'S HOLIDAY. Box-office open daily from Ten till Five. ROYAL STRAND THEATRE. Sole Lessee and Manageress, Mrs. SWANBOROUGH. This Evening. at 7, ON AND OFF, LIVING AT EASE. Messrs. Crouch, Turner ; Mesdames Ada Swanborongh, Buf ton, and F. Hughes. CCEGR-DE-LION, Messrs. Terry, Paulton, Fenton, and Turner ; Mesdames Amy Sheridan, E. Balton, Santley, Lee, Goodall, ekc. VAUDEVILLE THEATRE, STRAND.- L ess ees--Messrs. H. J. Montague, D. James, and T. Thorne. THIS EVENING, at 7 CHISELLING, Mr. David James ; after which TWO EOSE3 (174th night), by James Albery. Conclude with ELIZABETH. Supported by Messrs. H. J. Montague, David James. and T. Thorne, &o. ; Mesdames Amylawsitt, A. Newton, and Nell/ Power, &c. T. JAME S'S TFIEA TR E.—Lessee and Manageress, Mrs. JOHN WOOD. LAST WEEK O FEENANDE. This Evening at 7.46 great play, FERNANDE, Mows. Farren, Leeson, Lin Rayne, Murray and L. Brough ; Mrs. Hermann Vezin, Miss Larkin, Miss Fannie nrough, Miss-Turner, and Mrs. John Wood.—Doors open at 0.80. At 7, TO OBLIGE BENSON, by Tom Taylor, Esq. Messr s . Harry Cox, Grainger, Mervin ; Misses Marian Inoh and H. ler orard. At 7.45, FERNANDE. At 10.30, CHRISTMAS VE, by C. S. Cheltnman, Esq. Messrs. Harry Cox, Dan Leeson E , and Lionel Brough. On Boxing Night the Great Burlesque, BUM itASTES FURIOSO.—Box-otlice 11 to 6. No foes. OPERA COMIQUE, 290, Strand.—Lessees H. Leslie, C. Steele, W. Nc.ton.—This most beautiful Theatre in London will re-open for the English Dramatic Season on Monday, December 26, at popular prices, from ad. to 7s. 6d. OPERA- CONTIQUE.-Mr. G. F. ROWE will make his re-appearance in London in a new and striking Drama, founded on Charles Dickens's celebrated novel " Our Mutual Friend." OPERA. COMIQUE: — FOUND DROWNED, or OUR MUTUAL FRIEND. Supported by Messrs. S. Emery, John Nelson, W. M'lntyre, Charles Warner (by permis sion of W. H. Liston, Esq.), Edwin Stanley, Granville, and Bell ; Mesdames Ernstone, Patti Josephs, Holston, Manders, Tilly Earl, and Miss Rose Lisle. ANY GENTLEMAN requiring the comforts of a HOME in a respectable and cheerful family, where there are no other lodgers, to board or not with the family, as required, may hear of the same by applying to A. L., Mr. Hawkins, Post Office, Liverpoolcoad, Barnabury, N. MADAME TUSSAUD'S EXHIBITION, Baker street.—On view Portrait Models of the ex-Emperor and Impreee of the French, and Prize. ImperiaL Also, Marshal Benin& Marshal Canrobert, General Troche, &c., dro. Admission. ls. ; Children under Ten Years of age, ed. Extra Rooms, 6d. oxbow. Open from 10 &m. till 10 p.m. MADAME TUSSAUD'S EXHIBITION, Baker street —On view Portrait Models of the King and CrownTrince of Prussia, Prince Leopold of Hohenzollern. Also Count von Bismarck and Count von Moltke.—Admission la. ; children under ten years of age, 6d. Extra rooms, 6d. extra.— Open from 10 a.m. till 10 p.m. JOHN GOSNELL and CO.'S CHERRY TOOTH PASTE is greatly superior to any tooth powder; gives the teeth a pearl whiteness, protects the enamel from Aemy, and imparts a pleasant fragrance to the breath. Price Is. 'id. Red Bull Wharf, 93, Upper Thames-street, London. NOTHING IMPOSSIBLE. A GUA AMARELLA restores the Human Hair rx_ to its pristine hue, no matter at what age. JNO. GOSNEI,L and CO., have at length, with the aid of one of the most eminent Chemists, succeeded in perfecting this wonder ful liquid. It is now offered to the public in a more concentrated form, and at a lower price. Sold in bottles, is each; also is., 7s. 6d., and 15s. each, includ ing brush. Red Bull Wharf, Angel-passage, 93, Upper Thames-street, Lon ton, E.C. • LIFEBOAT SERVIOES.--Duving the Storms of the past eleven months the National Lifeboat Institution has contributed to the saving of 918 lives from various ship wrecks and 24 vessels from destruction. It has else expended £23,287 in the same period on its Lifeboat Establishments, in addition to granting 4.2,023 for rewards. The Institution has now 223 Lifeboat Stations under its management. Contributions are earnestly solicited, and will be thankfully received by the London and Country bankers, and by the Secre tary, Richard Lewis, Esq., at the Institution, 14, Sohn-street. Adelphi, London. THEATRES, AND AMUSEMENTS. HAYMARKET—The Wolf and the Lamb. The Palace of Truth. Uncle's Will. Family Jars. VAUDEVILLE —Chiselling. Two Roses. the Invisible Armada. STRAND—OR and Off. Lion. Elizabeth, or Living at Ease. Coeur-3e• ST. JAMES'S—To Oblige Benson. Fernando. Christ- mas Eve. OLTheio—Poppleton's Predicament. Nell and (Bur lesque) Paul and Virginia. ROYALTY Wealth, and Whittington Junior and his Sensation Cat. Gaurr - r—Zampa. The Waterman. HOLBORN—The Married Bachelor. The Odds. Jezabel. PRINCE OP WALES'S. Queen Stork. Ours. Locked In. POLYTECHNIC—Professor Popper's War Lecture. After• noon and Evening. EGYPTIAN HALL—Poole and Young's Panorama of the Franco-Prussian War. AmnirrlurATaz AND CIRCUS (Holborn)—Scenes in the Arena. ST. Jamrs's HALL.—Christy Minstrels. Every evening. PALAIS RovAL—Professor Faber's Talking Machine. ALHAMBRA—Promenade Coucert. --- MADAME TUBSAUD'S (Baker-street) —From 10 a.m. till 10 p.m. ls.; extra rooms, 6d. „ ” *in 4pa LONDON, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1870. two consecutive decades. The battles fought in the American Civil War were throughout upon a scale of portentous magnitude. The catastrophe of Sadowa and the .catastrophe at Sedan have been ex ceptionally crushing. Never have there been on record such stupendous capitulations as those of Sedan and Metz. Never have there been ghastlier battlefield, presented to view than those of Kiiniggratz and Gravelotte —whole battalions being mowed down by the deadly precision of the long-ranged artillery, the corpses lying in some parts in rows, as if reaped down by the sickle—in other parts, where the combatants were driven together in the act of falling, the dead, the dying, and the wounded being piled up one on the other to the height of five or six feet,some of them, sword . in hand, standing upright in the throng, but inani-\ mate. Nor can the terrible destructiveness of war in modern times be matter in any way of surprise when there is borne in recollection the simple fact that among the moat astounding achievements effected by Sciince in modern times, has been the contrivance of so many wonderful arms of precision, the Chassepot and the needle gun, the conical !Juliet, the Gatling gun, and the mitrailleuse—combatants falling in hundreds befcre they have come in sight of each other, death descend ing upon them in parabolic curves of terrible reach and precision. So consummate has become man's skill in the' construction of these deadly weapons and missiles, that peace can now only be secured to the human race by some such compact, with a view to a material transformation, as that foreshadowed in the prophecy of the Millenium, when the spear-heads are to be beaten into prnaing hooks, and the swords into ploughshares. Otherwise than through some mutual agreement in this way among the Powers of the earth, the human race will be more and more, instead of less and less, liable to wale of greater frequency and of larger destructive ; ness. TOPICS OF THE DAY. THE CANADIAN FISHERIES. The American correspondent of the Daily News, who is one of the best authorities on United States affairs, pronounces rather against Canada on the question of the fisheries. There appears, he says, to be no doubt that the Canadians are exercising those rights which are undoubtedly theirs, such as the right to prevent fishing by foreigners within three miles of their shores, and others which are not undoubtedly theirs, such as drawing the three mile line across the mouth of great bays, in a very stringent way. But the Canadians would gain more by good neighbourship, and by abating some of their strict rights, than by maintaining them. A little concession must do good, and could do no harm. So, too, with the navigation of the St. Lawrence. The Canadians have made all the canals, and without these the river is useless to the Western States as a means of communication with the sea. But why not, asks the writer, adopt the principle of Free Trade in the matter ? Why not, indeed why do not the Americans themselves adopt it? They have withdrawn the Reciprocity Treaty, and yet they expect generosity from the Canadians, at the very Urns they are acting ungenerously themselves. NOTHING more appalling in its way has been anuounced on the eve of Christmas by the electric wire since that magical system of telegraphing was first contrived than the tidings received yesterday from Versailles, to the effect that "On the road between Orleans and Blois are more than 0,000 French wounded, who were left behind by the enemy without any medical assistance." The reali sation of the fact of 6,000 fellow-creatures being so left in December, by the wayside, in the open air, without a roof to Cover them, surrounded by snow, nipped by the, • frost, in differently clad, without any means of alleviating the anguish of severe and some of them ghastly mutila tions—the realisation of sixty so ileft would be a something deplorable. But ! instead of sixty, instead of even six hundred, we have to read in the inexorable telegram —6,000 ! The war has certainly achieved a world of misery alike to conquerors and to conquered. The bitter end is trembling in the balance between the two great belligerents. Winter has come to complicate the horrors of the conflict, and the bombardment of the chief capital of European civilisation is appa rently imminent at the recurrence of the sublime anniversary when the angels two thousaird years ago sang the choral pean " Gloria in excelsip Deo et in terra pax Hominibus." Remembering the hopes that were inspired nineteen years ago, here; in the very midst of us that the devilish work of War might be rendered all but impossible in " the Parliament of Nations," in the "Federation of the 'World" —the retrospect of all the sanguinary campaigns which have since then been fought out in the Crimea, in Italy, in China, in Mexico, in Austria, in Den mark, in Hanover, in the free States of North America, in Abyssinia, in Japan, and now in the fairest provinces of Imperial and Democratic France, the dream of peace seems to nave resulted only in a series of the most iearful nightmares of carnage. War has proved in this anticipated epoch of universal pacification, more frequer i and more destructive than it has ever been within a similar in , terval of time, within a period o less than THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1870. some of the circumstances which have recently taken pliti.!e. He says that the recruiting for France, which wo 3 complained of, was nothing more than that the ench Consul provided the French who escaped from Metz with money and clothes. The Luxem burg Government could not be called upon to detain that prisoners when they had escaped. With respect to the provisioning of Thionville the Prussian armies ro,,nd Metz received a hundred times as much through Luxemburg al the one train which got into Thion viPe through a ruse played off on the Custom House officers. The French wounded were met with pr. ofs o I sympathy on passing through Lux emburg, but this should scarcely be called a crime. No chance was afforded to the inhabitants of Luxemburg for offering their sympathy to the Prussian wounded. Were the Luxemburg Government inclined to indulge in reprisals, it might mention several acts of aggression on the part of Prussia. Whatever may be the intention of Count Bismarck for the future with regard to • Luxemburg, there can be no doubt that the Prussian Staff would like to take posiession of the railways at once. They would thus secure another line to draw the supplies for the armies from Belgium, and this desire is no doubt the secret of the whole quarrel. The writer concludes by declaring that they only desire to get a fair bearing, and do not expect England or any other country to go to war for them. THE UNITED STATES AND THE WAR. A quantity of diplomatic correspondence concern-' ing the policy of the United States' Government in reference to the European war, was presented to Congress with the President's Message. One of the earliest documents refers to the recognition of the new French Government. On Sept. 6 Assistant-Secretary Davis telegraphed to Minister Washburne at Paris that if the Provisional Government had actual possession of po'wer, and was acknowledged by the French people, he was not to hesitate to recognise it. A subsequent despatch of the same date directed him tl offer the congratulations of the President and people on the establishment of a Republic. On September 9 Secretary Fish acknowledges the receipt of Fa're's request to Minister Wash burne to join the other Powers in efforts for peace. "It is not," says Mr. Fish, "the policy or the inte rest of the United States to act jointly with European Powers on European questions." He has instructed Mr. Bancroft to ascertain whether Germany desires the good offices of the United States, but not to tender them without the assurance that they will be accepted. On September 11 Minister Bancroft telegraphs as follows :—" No time now for America to intervene. Germany rejects all foreign interference. Every other power holds back. America would stand alone, and be unable to accomplish anything. Our interest and dignity require us for the pre sent to stand aloof." Mr. Fish subsequently learns from Mr. Bancroft that one of the conditions to be insisted on in negotiating a p eace with France will be the recognition of the principle of exempting private property on the high seas from seizure ; and the secretary sanctions the principle. A long dispatch from the American Minister on com munications with Paris objects to the rights of legations being infringed by the belligerents. Minister Motley states as an authentic fact that the French Government telegraphed to London on August 6 to know whether General Lee was ex pected, and thinks it chews some want of confidence in the government of their armies. BOHEMIA AND THE BLACK SEA. Count Beust's reply to the memorandum of the Czech leaders on the position of Bohemia and on the Black Sea difficulty has been unani mously approved by the Vienna press. Count Beust says the most important part of the memorandum is that which deals with the question of the neutrality of the Black Sea, though why the Bohemian nation should have a greater interest in the question than any other AuStrian race it is not easy to understand. Bohemia should have the same interest as all other nationalities in the Maintenance of treaties, and to express an opposite opinion is to favour the Power with whom the question is being discussed. Such a proceeding can only be condemned in the strongest manner. No State can retain its indi viduality if political partisans are allowed to act in defiance of the interests of the country. Republics would not tolerate such proceedings, and they must be at once put down in Austria. The Czech leaders, in their memorandum, had repeated their demands for aNational Czech Government, distinct from that of the other parts of the Empire, and they laid particular stress on their sympathy with Russia. The answer of Count Beust is held to show the strict constitutional policy of the Govern ment. It is thought the present provisional state of the Austrian Government will last a few weeks longer, as the Emperor seems indisposed to give any decision as to the proffered resignation of Count Potocki. THE RUSSIAN ARMY AND NAVY. The Czar of Russia has suddenly cancelled the privilege of exemption from military service hitherto enjoyed by the nobility of Russia, This important move at once makes th conscription order to be carried out on the Prussian system, universal in its effects, and proves how anxious the Russian Government are to bring about the establishment of a standing and efficient national army. It is stated to their honour that the nobles have expressed their readiness to. comply with the decree of the Emperor. The latter, we also learn, is still intent on equipping a Black Sea Fleet, and 50 or 60 gunboats are even now believed to be ready to sail. This resolution on the part of Russia is sufficient evidence that the country did not sanction Prince Gortschakoff's Circulars in any pusillanomous manner, and that the Czar's Govern ment means to meet with energy any crisis that may fall to the share of Russia. A. VOICE FROAI LUXEMBURG. An inhabitant of Luxemburg writes to explain THE PUBLIC HEALTH. Notwithstanding the presence of a " white " Christmas season the death rate in London has within the past few days been unusually high com pared with the average of other years. The number of deaths registered was 1,737, but after making due allowance for increase of population, the average, as compared with the deaths recorded in the same week for ten years past, was as 1,572 to 1,429. The rate of mortality, usually very high at Liverpool in December, owing to the proximity of that town to the fogs of the Channel, its low position and consequent susceptibility to retain damp in the atmosphere, and the large ingress of foreigners in winter time, is exceedingly alarming just now. Last week 43 persons in 1,000 of the population are reported to have died. This excessive mortality may be properly judged of when we state that in London only 28 of every 1,000 people, and in Hull only 20 of every 1,000, succumbed to disease or- accident. The smallpox is very prevalent in Liverpool however, the deaths this week being 26 against 10 in the last weekly return. GERMAN KNOWLEDGE OF GEOGRAPHY. A. suggestive story is told of a visit which some Uhlans paid to the town of Saint Roman a few days ago. Six Prussian horsemen rode up to a certain cafe and demanded a bottle of wine each. The worthy landlord, on supplying the enemies of his country with the wine, scrutinised their appearance sharply, and immediately he thought he recog nised features that were not unfamiliar to him• He looked again and exclaimed, " Ah, monsieur, I thought I knew you ; I recollect often seeing you.' face in this locality before the war." It turned out that the landlord recognised two of them as clerks who were in some commercial house in Havre. Well may the Germans easily find their way about France, well may they gat a reputation as excellent geographers, when they are served by men who per sonally knoW the territories through which they pass. TRADE OF RUSSIA. A change is about to take place in the Russian tea trade with China. It is proposed to send the tea direct from Suez to Odessa in order to avoid the necessity for English agents. Negotiations have been entered into with the Odessa Steam Navi gation Company, and the Russian merchants in China have sent agents there. As many as 25,000,0001b5. of tea were sent to Russia last year, and the merchants expect to derive increased profits from the non-intervention of English agents. The trade of Nijni-Novgorod has increased, not withstanding the line of steamboats on the Volga, and the introduction of railways which would, it was supposed, have interfered with Its profits. Since 1862 the trade of the town has increased in a steady ratio, and the numerous railways have had no prejudicial effect upon it. According to statistics lately published at St. Petersburg, it appears that Russian shipping is in a backward state. In 1869 there was only an increase of ten per cent. in the number of ships which entered the Russian ports, and of 3 per cent. on those which left them during the last ten years: One-tenth of these vessels were steamers. The want of engineers and pilots is supposed to be the cause of the slow progress which has been made by Russian shipping. PIRACY IN THE CHINA SEAS. The extent to which piracy is stifi carried on in the China Seas was revealed in a case which Sir R. Phillimore has had before him in the Admiralty Court. The officers and crew of her Majesty's ship Cockchafer claim rewards due to them for services against the actions of pirate ships off the station where they were on duty in 1863, 1864, and 1865. It was necessary that the Admiralty Court should declare all the vessels captured illegal craft, in order that the demand for awards should be substantiated. Hence the case in the Admiralty Court. It was shown that in the years mentioned the Cockchafer had been instrumental in destroying no less than fifty piratical junks, a fact which proves that the sovereignty of the Viking is not even in these days a myth. It also supports the view that of all nations which are yet backward in the advance of civilisation China is the worst. eTuirrit . k, HER MAJESTY. OSBORNE, Dec. 22. Her Majesty the Queen, accompanied by her Royal Highness Princess Beatrice, drove out yesterday after , noon. The Queen, accompanied by Princess Louise and Prin cess Beatrice, walked and drove this morning. Prince Leopold also went out. The Hon. Lucy Kerr has arrived at Osborne. A MILLIONAIRE'S WILL.—The inventory of personal estate of the late Mr. George Baird, of Stiche—, has been given up by his executors. The value of his moveable estates in England and Scotland is £918,457 17s. 9d. This does not, of course, include the value of his landed estates and funds in America, which are large. The value of the stamp on which the inventory is , written is £13,400. By his trust deed, which is dated the 3rd of December, 1868, and, along with two codicils dated the 15th of January, 1870, recorded in the books of Council and Session the 9th of September last, he conveys to trustees all his heritable and moveable property, including his estates of Strichen, in Aberdeen shire, Haddon, Ka.inflat, and Stonfiela. in Roxburgh and berwickshires, and Cunninghame in .Dumfriesshire. He leaves £25,000 at disposal of trustees, to be divided among such religious, benevolent, and charitable objects and pur poses as they may deem most deserving, including contri butions or annuities to any poor relatives. His estates of Strichen and Stichell are to be entailed in favour of his son, George Alexander Baird, in the first instance. H leaves £200,000 to each younger son, and £50,000 to eac daughter. —Scotsman. BREAKVABT.—EPPS'S 0000 A.--GRATEFUL AND 001 sown:al.—The very agreeable character of this preparation has rendered it &general favourite. The Civil Service Gazette re marks :—" By a thorough knowledge of the natural laws which govern the operations of digestion and nutrition, and by a careful application of the fine properties of well-selected cocoa. Mr. Epps has provided our breakfast tables with a delicately voured beverage which may save us many heavy ,doctors' bills." Each packet is labelled—JAMES EPPS et; Co., Homoeo pathic naemists. London. Also, makers of ratio's Cacaoine, a vt.ry thin evening beverage. --Ad vt. STRANGE ACTIONS FOR SLANDER. lii the Court of Common Pleas the case of " P°ww.- v. Pownall " has been beard. There were t wo actions' Miss one against Miss Sarah, and the other against 4 Martha Pownall,. sisters of the late Lieutenant - C olon Pownall, to recover damages for slander, and the coo • Inv stances were of a very peculiar character. Sir J. Karslake, Mr. Philbrick, and Mr. Straight nl/' reared for the plaintiff ; and Mr. Serjeant Ballantine, nsr - . Bennett, and Mr. H. T. Hunt for the defendants. Sir J. Karslake, in opening the case, said that plaintiff, Mrs. Emma Pownall, was the widow of the late Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Pownall. I n ton, she was living with her mother at Stoke Newingtoo, and there made_ the acquaintance of the colonel, more than once proposed to her, and they were roariief after the lapse of about nine months, on the co l o ne l August, 1867, at West Hackney Church. The had lived with his two sisters ; but on his marriage 11 went to reside with the plaintiff and her mother. been for many years in the Indian army, and during 1 ,7 mutiny he was for some time in imminent danger. 11 ecepes through which he had passed and the effec ts the climate combined to render him an invalid, an clile retired upon half-pay, which was about £4BO a l e 7 s . The plaintiff was about fifteen or twenty Yesico younger than the colonel, and his sisters did not livea the marriage. The married couple, however, „ happily together. In July,. 1868, they went Ramsgate, and about that time he began to suffer fr°l3!.a swelling in his throat. The medical man at Ramsgate yd not seem quite to understand what was the matter , WI, the colonel returned to Stoke Newington, and attended by his own medical man, Mr. Forman. After wards Sir William Fergusson, Mr. Paget, a nd Hilton were called in, and they pronounced the dice s 4 to be aneurism of the carotid artery. An operation ° spoken of, but it was thought so dangerous that t be doctors said that it must be left to the colonel to de ter mine, and he declined to undergo it. The swelling gri.4s' dually but very largely increased, and the dange r ` 1 1 " - that by bursting it would cause instant death ; , Colonel was under the constant care of Mr. 11°015- and Mrs. Gosling, an experienced nurse. The plain tig acted thtoughout like an affectionate and attentive w if :, and the colonel's sisters had every opportunity of see': how he was treated and cared for.. Miss Sarah, how esl " as early as six months before death, told Mr. Fornl that the plaintiff was slowly poisoning her husboA:s Mr. Forman bestowed more than ordinary care upon 111 patient, and he was certain that there was no sy mPt t which was not to be attributed to the disease, and ", that only. The slander was still circulated, and fcr,, time it caused a shade of suspicion in the mind a t' colonel himself ; but this wore off, and he became Per fectly satisfied. Miss Sarah whispered suspicions agtiil3,,l the nurse, and she was sent away, and Mrs. Sp ores, afterwards another nurse supplied her place. The P la ce tiff herself was so anxious to have the best possib le adv' that she wished to have Mr. Syme up from Edinburt;ll;• but her advisers thought that this would be a we l l expense, and therefore the proposition was not carr' e t4 out. The colonel got gradually worse, until in Ana 1869, he died, and was buried in Highgate C e meterf The slanders, however, were still circu l a ted, and a dete . . c. tive was employed by the defendants to w atch the Pt tiff. On the 17th May, 1870, the de fendants wrote to J.' Lankester, the coroner, the following letter : " Sir, —Having a suspicion that our brother (Thorcas Pownall) died from the efitcts of poison administer.-„ him by his wife, we hereby request that the b od y may '- exhumed, and an inquest held upon it.—We are, sir, „ " MARTHA and SARAH POWNALL' They sent another letter to Grindlay and Co., arnj„'' agents, who had arranged the colonel's affairs. It was " these terms : "10, Vittoria-place, Stoke Newington•_, " Sir, —We enclose you a copy of the paper which sent by my sister and myself to the coroner's office , Great Marlborough-street, last Monday. The case bo being investigated, but we thought you w ere a p arty ought to be communicated with on the subject.—We ar sir, yours, &c., "MARTHA POWNALL, SARAH POWNALL' The next thing was a kind of circular, which was in feigned handwriting, and which was distributed to number of persons. The following was a copy of it . 0 " To affectionate wives, alias poisoners, aristocrat' families, &c.—Post-mortems performed without disUl-1- l t o ; ing 63 . the body. Brain and heart carefully avoided. s t r ictest secresy observed. Their own undertaker's 11,; ployed, and credit given. Apply, either personally O r °„. letter, to Mrs. Pownall, the principal, 6, Myddlet°4 place, Stoke Newington-road ; Dr. E. B. Forman , `.'„: Nelson-terrace, Stoke Newington-road ;or to the super,' " e tendent (Mr. Murray) at the Highgate Cemetery, vOn full particulars may be obtained. Smoking allowed, 0 , 4 ladies accommodated with seats during the bolo'. performance. No admission to dogs, friends, or relative; of the deceased, representatives, persons of common sees or right principles." There was a similar document which was addressed 1 " Affectionate widowers, alias poisoners." It happen °, that Mrs. Pownall had presented the de fendants with'''. phOtograph, and they had copies of it printed and seat t; various persons with the circular. After the in q uest t h detective was withdrawn, but it seemed that the &f ell :a dants continued to spread the reports . They also sl ' i cv that when the plaintiff married the colonel she had alrea ' a husband living, and that she had great reluctance 1: be married at Hackney Church because it was there s P i ; married her former husband. The learned co unse l conclusion said that the plaintiff had nothing to gain.°l„- the death of the colonel, as her pension amounted °ll,' to £lB7 a year, and the colonel had only £ 92 a t his deat if whilst his debts, which the plaintiff was still paying ° were £3OO. the A great many witnesses were examined to prov e . 0 publication of the slanders and that there was no truth them. Dr. Lankester said that he told the defendants tha t hoped that they would withdraw their application fo r L i inquest, for he had made every possible investigation Oil, thought that there was no necessity for inquiry. 11/e 0 declined to do so. The jury found that death arose fr ° 4 natural causes, and they expressed a very strong opfol" that there was no foundation for the accusation. Miss Martha PoWnall was understood to ask for adjournment of the case, but this course not heiih' adopted, she cross-examined the witnesses. In answer to her, it was said that the heart and b of the deceased were not examined, because it was_ l lJ necessary when poison was searched for. It aPPPS that the defendants had suspected Mr. F orman, and 1.;1, on one occasion one of them put her hand upon his shnoi der and said—" Before you rise from that chair you sb confess." From the cross-examination of this witness it apPel j e that the colonel had at one time a suspicion tha t his had given him poison ; but when the aneurism burst, _. ‘ ffr i j there was danger of immediate death, Mr. Forman to the colonel, " Do you think that your wife poiseeej you now ?" and the reply was " No ; she has been a Give wife to me, and I have never loved her half enough. my love to Sarah and Martha." A eo Miss Martha Pownall addressed the jury, assuring "", i tg that both she and her sister had acted from an s e i se nse of duty, and that her brother had requested thlo, post-mortem examination should take place. It was 00 possible that they could make any apology when 1 3 ,1 wa s consciousness of having done no wrong. T hey never accused the plaintiff of bigamy. Miss Sarah Pownall, the defendant in t he first actilfilvi then went into the witness - box , and state d, on oath, tio, what her sister had said was the trut h . She also said et, they were never left a minute alone with their b row though he earnestly requested it several times. Sir J. Karslake said that it was plain that the d e e d dants still believed, and would as long as they lived L tinue to circulate, these atrocious slanders ; and be 13 °0 • therefore that the jury would show their opinion by gl v the plaintiff exemplary damages. • The verdict was for the plaintiff—damages, £ 2s° each case. tl ) ° As to the count which set out the slander tha; plaintiff had been charged with bigamy, the verdie" t th entered for the defendants, his lo rdshi p holdin g tha words set out had not been proved. ' ~.. 1 1 of W. AND A. GILBET'S S TORES.—The Standard - n iii i Friday, in a long account of Me s s rs. W. and A Cillbeg 1; Stores at Camden Town, gives some interesting detal.'; sf t ; appears that the Stores in question have a cellarstd; flo3rage space of upwards of live acres, and were fni - g r 4 used as the principal Goods Station of the London an yi Western Railway. Connected with these stores by cOolo t t, Bonded Cellars covering several acres , in which the Wines and Spirits as they arrive from Xerxes, f.,iy Bordeaux, Cognac, &c., are stored under bond. 1 0 . 0 1 ` 0 ,1 it °' 300 hands are employed, principal l y on piecework, isitli, average of 3,000 dozens, or about 100 tons weight of ~, cl , and Spirits, is sent out daily, in add i ti on to which, eve', 0, ; , from 30,000 to 40,00 0 bottles are w ashed b y steam. Til:ofe, ness here carried on, according to the Government 11° 000 amounts to about one-twentieth part of the entire Wine . e r , while from the fact of this firm ha vin g agents in alroosc'o 0 0 ,0 ,, a t town and village of the United K in g dom, their goods voi o btained everywhere at the same price, and their p e the trade affords a guarantee of unform quality and g 0 07,0,11 1 mercial value. Thus, each one of their ,600 agents, illnie ti ol e supplying his customers from some two or three l it i w pi 1 1 bottled and purchased at his own judgment, holds in res V key to a stock embracing more than 200 varieties: tro " Standard " points out t hat the position selected fehoitY, Stores combines the advantages very difficult to 0 .. .., aj 0p London of road, rail, and water carriage, and concis 9 remarks as follows ;—" Altogether, this Establishmen t o,oi worth inspection ; and to visitors to London, with vrholoo / at the Docks has alway s re p resented one of the 5 wo can on ly say that they will find a visit 011 „ ty sights, Stores of perhapg g reater interest, as here they will set col) various processes of bottling, packing, &c., on such ;A' certainly cannot be seen el sewhere, not even in th , 16th December, 1870. produc i ng countries."—Standard THR CONTROL SYSTEM. An officer, whose initials, A. L. H., will probably bo recognised as those of Major-General Sir Alfred Horsford, defends in the Times the Control Depart ment against the aspersions cast upon it by the Duke of Manchester. The gallant soldier amuses us by saying that the story of the nozzle - of a bel lows and the flagstaff anecdote, referred to as instancing the present circumlocution incident to the control system are both old fables, which were narrated in the House of Commons before the Con trol Department existed, and which were even then too good to be true. The Duke of Manchester alto gether has been too severe upon a new organization in our army, and in his severity, he misunderstands much of the constitution of the scheme. The Control Department was established to decentralise. Officers of high rank and experience were to be attached to each command, having full power to issue stores and money on behalf of the Secretary of State without previous reference to the War Office. They were to be held responsible only on the ground that the circumstances justified the steps they might take. By their wisdom in this respect these officers were to rise or fall in their department. Unfortu nately, this was the theory, but such has not been the practice. The Duke of Manchester is right in assuming that something is wrong, but it only wants a stroke of the pen from Mr. Cardwell to give vita- lity to the oontrol service. The officers have been appointed; they are at their posts; but at present they dare not move one inch beyond regulations without a previous reference to the War Office. LIFE SAVING APPARATUS. A. deputation of naval captains and master mariners has had an interview with Mr. Shaw Lefevre, Secre tary to the Board of Trade, to urge upon him the substitution of Mr. Rogers's life saving apparatus for the rocket apparatus now in use at the various coast stations. The deputation were anxious to point out to the Secretary the superior merits of Mr. Rogers's plan. It consists of a folding anchor so con trived that it can be fired from a mortar or other piece of ordnance. Attached to the anchor is a block of peculiar make which will not choke with seaweed, and will allow knots and kinks to pass freely through it. A double line passes through the block, the ends of which, attached on shore, haul out another double line of cable. The anchor can b 3 flung into the sea with the rope attached, and the lifeboat drawn through the surf, so that the crew can pull the boat to the ship. The block may also be thrown across the ship with the double rope, thus establishing communication , with the shore. A. memorial signed by large num bers of Master-mariners, and others interested in the question, was presented, and several captains present spoke highly in favour of the invention. Mr. Lefevre directed that experiments should be made at Shoe bury pea. THE DECAY OF FRESCOES. It has long been an object of anxiety with artists to discover wile means of arresting the rapid decay which too often attacks fresco paintings in this country. A new method has been devised by Mr. Minton Campbell, the head of the well-known firm of Minton and Co. which possesses many advantages. A. kind of stone surface is produced by cementing together highly fired tessera of compressed pulverised stone and clay, made in the form of hexagons. The surface is made up of a network of regular lines, with which the junctures of the surface are identical, thus avoiding the appearance of joins. The artist can work easily with the colours employed, and paint thickly or thinly as he chooses. They contain vitrifying properties, and the properties of the surface and the colours combining in the firing, form an imperishable painting This explanation was fully given in a paper read at the Society of Arts. In the subse quent discussion, Mr. Cope R.A., referred to the prevailing impression that fresco painting had proved a failure, and expressed his hope that some means of arresting decay would be discovered. Mere mechanical work could not, he thought, supersede fresco, and he feared an objection to Mr. Campbell's method would be the glossiness of the surface. Mr. Redgrave, R.A., con sidered the invention possessed all the qualities for which an artist looks, and by it an artist might per petuate his works. Professors Donaldson and Westmacott bore testimony to its excellence for overcoming the difficulties of climate, and other evidence was adduced in its favour. WORKHOUSE REFORM. The proceedings of the Lambeth Guardians fur nish some explanation, if any were needed, of the yet disgraceful state of our workhouses, even after some efforts to reform them. The Lord Chief Justice, in summing up a recent case, male certain very strong comments upon the condition of the Lambeth poorhouse, whereupon the Guardians met in solemn conclave and drew up this extraordinary resolution : - - " That this Board deeply regret that the Lord Chief Justice of England should have felt himself justified in the language which he uttered from the judgment-seat, with the weight of his great authority, in reference to this house; and that the Board record their emphatic protest against the severe condemnation passed by his lordship, and do not hesitate to characterise it as grossly unjust. " The Chief Justice visited the workhouse himself, and his observations with independent testimony in court, established the conclusion that the workhouse was, to put it mildly, a filthy hole. Yet, because a judge gives facts their proper name he is an unjust judge. The Ethiopian cannot change his skin nor the leopard his spots, and it would seem therefore that the only way is to change the Ethiopian or the e I leopard. THOSE UNJUST DIRECTORS. It is almost needless to 34 that tho fiat of the bank directors who have prohibited their clerks from marrying with a stipend under £l5O a year has been followed by a series of letters in the Daily Telegraph. Those epistles detail a variety of hardships, such as that the money given by customers of banks for Christmas boxes does not always reach those for whom it is intended. One writer says that the mar ried clerks are by far the steadiest and most trust worthy, which we can quite helieve, seeing that one unmarried gentleman writes, " perhaps some, wishing to be entirely on the safe side, will dispense with any marriage ceremony," and signs himself "One of Them." The leading fact which comes out is that very few clerks indeed get £l5O a year, so that if the directors' resolution is universally imitated, bankers' assistants will be as as celibate as monks. Of forty-eight clerks in one estAblishment, not one receives £l5O. It would, th. refore, seem best to give up the rule of expecting clerks to appear to be something they are not, and then let them do as they like. BANK HOLIDAYS. 'he fact of Christman Day falling on a Sunday depriveS the bank clerks, like many others, of one of their few holidays, and this has raised the question of making the 20th of December a holiday by Act of Parliament in such a case. The Americans have had inure foresight in this respect, and the Legislature of Ne .v York passed an At last April providing that bills of exchange, bank checks, and promissory notes, maturing on the 25th and 20th December, 1870, shall be payable on the 27th, and those due on the Ist and 2nd January shall . 0e payable on the 3rd: The Americans keep New Year's Day as a holiday as well as Christmas, and also the 4th of July and Washington's birthday, so that the clerks are well off. In France there are four general holidays be sides Christmas Day, so that the English are far in the rear. In Liverpool the banks are closed on New Year's Day, not for holiday-making, but for balancing the books. In Ireland the Queen's Birthday is ob served as a holiday, and kept on the Monday if it falls on a Sunday. It has been proposed to make the 26th of December a national holiday, and in Ireland it is already observed as such, but at a meeting of bankers, held in Edinburgh, it was resolved to object to the bill extending to Scotland. It has been suggested that the accumulation of business would produce a pressure which must be set off against the gain of the holiday, but this sug gestion does not appear to have emanated from the clerks themselves. SPi LAT The Pont P bridge 1 or four retired. Imml opened in the s A w Tours after w The but it the wh Gene Germa losing AU XI A d that ti and a Marn , It wa made Fif Le B Denis b ead• Th Garg MOTE A STLEY'S.—Lessee and Manager, Mr. JoHN BAuM.—On Boxing Night, Dec. 26th, first time, Grand Ori , 2,inal, Comic, Christmas Pantomime, HARLEQUIN LITTLE Tr 'I TITTLEMOUSE, and the eleven Dancing Princesses ; or, De die Deedle Dumplin and the Silver Frog. EGYPTIA.N HALL, PIOCA.DILLI. Commencing MONDAY. November 28, livery day at 2..90 end 8 p.m. POOLE and YOUNG, the PrOprietarg and Exhibitors of She Overland Mail , by Teibin and Grieve, Albert Smith's Egyptian Hall Panoramas, beg to announce a new subject— THE PRESENT WAR petwean the Fronds and Prussians. Baeh Picture on 600 square feet of canvas, end painted by England's greatest scenic artists. THE NATIONAL MUSIC. THE FINEST QUARTETTE IN EUROPE. PO::,I_,R AND YOUNG, THE EGYPTIAN HALL ONLY. THE WAIL—POOLE AND YOUNG'S PANORAMA. BGYPTIAN UAW, Prices to Poole and Young's Pawrazna of the War, es.. 2 s, L. THE EUROPEAN WAR The SUN is Published Every Morning at ElGif F O'CLOCK, with SOME HOURS' LATER NEWS than any other paper. This edition will always contain the LATEST NEWS of the WAR, and of all other events. T( GR says, At Ai at VI priSo posit sorti the 2 alone Y mar( foile TH] vest men Evr plac Bra in f ne4 Be at cap life ea ix in