The Sun. — London, England, 1870-01-08 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS. The Saturday Review observes that the programme of the new French Ministry may be expected to include a reform of the machinery by which elections are now conducted in France, and a new appeal to the country. It must be difficult for any thoughtful Frenchman to look forward to such a prospect without serious apprehensions. France has not had a representative Legislature for eighteen years, and the disclosures of the wants and aspirations of her people which may be anticirtted from a really free election may perhaps be extremely startling. The great towns consistently return candidates of various s hades of Republicanism; the country districts have been so very well looked after by the Government that they have usually returned the official candidate without troubling themselves as to the cut or colour of his political views. When this external pressure is withdrawn, who shall venture to say what direction the rebound will take? The new Ministers may find themselves stronger after a dissolution, or they may find the elements of their power absolutely and hopelessly scattered. And yet, notwith- standing this possible overthrow, the moderate Liberals will be acting wisely as well as honestly in insisting upon a now election as soon as the electoral system is sufficiently purged to make the result of any value. An early dissolu tien is the only expedient by which the new Cabinet can hope to convince France that Parliamentary Government has really started on its way. The character of the exist ing Corps Ugislatif is gone beyond recall. It may dis play all the virtues that have ever fallen to the share of representative Assemblies without clearing itself of its original vice—that it is only by a misnomer that it can be called representative at all. Consequently a Cabinet which shrinks from a dissolution cannot escape the charge of being a Cabinet which shrinks from knowing the truth. A reputation of this kind will be fatal to its in fluence alike with Republicans and with Imperialists. The former will have it in their power to say, You do not dare to look facts in the face, because you know that the verdict of the country, if hone, tly taken,would be unmistake ably against you. The latter would be able toargue that the only alternative for France are a Republic or Personal Government, since the compromise of a Constitutional Empire is condemned by the virtual admission of its creators. A Liberal Ministry in France can only look to holding its own against the reactionary tendencies of tin Court by making it clear that the French nation is behind it The 6 - pedalo says that the Tory papers evidently feel sensitive at the somewhat cynical interest displayed by the Liberal journals as to the prospects of their party in the Lords. They snap at all suggestions and condolences with a sharpness which betrays their real irritability and anxiety on the subject. And really they must be in a great strait, if the rumour which the correspondent of the .Beot3stan,—a very shrewd man, who generally knows some thing of what is really going on,—has circulated, is true, that the favourite just now for leader in Tory circles is the dismal duke, the Duke of Marlborough. Why, the resus citation of Lord Malmesbury as leader would be nothing to such a fiasco as that. Lord Malmesbury is in his way a man of the world, with a Crtain good-humoured though shambling sense. Dismal eten for a duke, sermonic even for a religious coterie, without frankness or generosity as a politician, without a single quality of a statesman, how can the jolly old Tory peers endure their lives if they are to be led by,this Duke of Marlborough? Why the session will be one long season of Lent to them; and before it closes they will feel as if they had been doing nothing but confessing their sins, and acknowledging their wretchedness from one end of it to the other. They will begin to feel sentimental about Lord Cairns. They will exalt the late Lord Derby till his memory is enveloped in myth. Indeed, we could not lend even a momentary cre dence to the rumour which designates this penance for the Tories of the House of Lords, if Mr. Disraeli's designs were less deep than they often are. Who knows but that in order to educate his party, he intends to place the Tories . of the Upper House under a severely chastening dis pensation for a season—that he wants to deliver them into captivity till they shall be willing to receive the present Lord Derby on his own terms, and with open arms, and ready to bow to his suggestions even if he tells them to give up university and college tests absolutely and at once? Mr. Dirsaeli may be desirous to chasten the Duke of Rutland, and Lord Harrowhy, and the rest, till hebends them to his purposes—to make them hang their harps upon the willows by the river of exile, till they are wil ling to kiss the feet of any deliverer, even though he come to them with the calm and frigid face of Lord Stanley. If there be no deep design in it, it must be baseless rumour, The Duke of Marlborough leading the Tory Lords! You might far more sensibly propose him to the Spaniards for the vacant throne. If Spain wants a dull grandee, with a dash of the obstinate schoolmaster in him and but little head, add is not afraid of a little dodginess in such a one, she could not possibly do better. The Economist condemns the conjectural system adopted in Indian Finance. A Finance Minister at Calcutta can never say what exactly the regular estimate is ; he knees it is a great deal guess, but how much conjecture and how much ascertained truth he cannot say in a sentence. He must go through the accounts item by item to say it. And it is no wonder that such a system as this leads to grave errors. The Budget estimate must be wrong when the regular estimate ,is: wrong, and it is often very wrong. In India the Budget is not as in England-- an estimate grounded on experience ; on the contrary, it is a conjecture founded on a conjecture. In any country such a system would be dangerous; but in India it is more dangerous than elsewhere, because of the nature of the revenue. A very important part of the in come of India is derived from a business. The Govern ment grows and sells, and has a monopoly in growing and selling opium, And it is plain, of course, that the profits of a business must always be more difficult to estimate than the proceeds of a tax ; in this country, if the income of the country depended upon the income of the cotton trade or of the woollen trade, who who would venture to calculate it a year beforehand ? But in truth the system of calculating yearly the profits of a precarious business like the opium trade is liabe to grave objection. It, cannot be done accurately. Sir R. Temple says that he thought he had been careful ; that in March last he thought that the trade was not in its usual state ; that the demand was of a " speculative" character, and therefore he did not calculate on so much as he might. Mr. Bullen, an eminent mercantile member of the Council, said too that the esti mate was too low, yet now it turns out, or is thought likely to turn out, to be very much too high. In fact, human forethought is not able to anticipate what the pro ceeds of a trade will be a year beforehand. And this is far from being a mere matter of theory. No sensible man counts on a business income beforehand, as if it were a certainty, and no State should reckon on it either. If a State does reckon on it, and it does not come, the difficulties are serious. The only safe mode for a Government which, like the Indian, lives upon a business, is to set aside a "rest," as the Bank of England accounts call it, to equalise the profits of that business. Only a fixed sum, lower than is in the least likely to be realised, ought for some years to be reckoned,and the rest should be carried to an "equalisa tion fund." In after years this fund could be used so as to make the yield of the opium revenue as certain as the yield of any tax. A Finance Minister might safely calculate on an average result, for if there were a casual deficiency he would have a purse out of which he could take money to fill it. We should not then, as now, have to change our policy with varying conjectures, or regulate 'our public works' expenditure, in which regularity and foresight are absolutely required, by a source of income which cannot be regular, and to which foresight is inapplicable. The John Bull thinks the Ministerialists are quite elated at the success of the union between the landlords and pries 4 in the county of Longford. They seem to forgot tha4 they have ever denounced as demoralising and tyran nigal the union between the landlords of English counties and the clergy of the English Church. Far be it from us to desire the time when the influences of religion shall cease to have any bearing on politics ; but :direly there should be some consistency in the combination of political forces, at least, if it is deSired to draw from a temporary coalition any general deductions. Rather do we see in the result of this election—and such, if we mistake not, will be the judgment formed at Rome—a formidable revolt against the Roman Catholic priesthood. For the moment they have triumphed, but for thd first time the Irish lower orders have been arrayed against their priests. If this state of affairs continues, it will add another to Ireland's difficulties. 'What the results will be none can foresee; but tnis much is evident, that as day succeeds day the mischie vous policy cf the Gladstone Ministry is more clearly apparent. Having alienated the loyalists, they have now caused a quarrel between the / riest4 and the masses; and the only way in which the daily-increasing murders end atrocities can be put down must be by a military force. For hitherto, to a certain cetent, the Priests Dave secured a certain observance cf the law ; but if once the people think that they are in league with the Government, their control will be gone. And CO the last state shall be even worse than the first. We believe that the Conservatives of Ireland have only cne policy to pursna, viz., to lake no part in electious thoy cannot return their own oral- Mates. Captain Madden, too, we hope, will not lack Ly?..rs; for it is quite certain that so_long M Mr. Glad c'i'9'—ains Prime Minister, confusion will only grow ' f. Onded in Ireland. And Constitutionalists , 't tvernment which has brought such evils on 'ist in prolonging her LITT:RA.IIZ SCIENTIFIC, AND AIVI aosw The Athenmiin states that Professor Maurice has i triple subject in hand, for which he is autuently fitted, " Hnss, Wycliffe, and Latimer. If (adds the Atheiteetifit) he will fix, olioo for all, the spelling of the second initM, he will oblige many persons who are at present perplexa-r The Rev. Dr. Gibbings has given hii theological library to tho University of Dublin,—attaching it permanently to the chair of Ecclesiastical History, for the benefit of its occupant for the time being, and we suppose, of students of that branch of learning. Among the treasures are the ori ginal editions of Luther's works, the Commentary on St. Mark's Gospel, by Druthman, a monk of the ninth century, in which he speaks of Tiansubtantiation as a novelty (this work was printed in 1514), and the refutation by 2Eneas Sylvius, of the spurious " Donation of Constantine,"—a refutation he retracted when he became Pope.—lt is rumoured in America that Victor Hugo is writing a new novel, to be called " The Crime of the Second of Decem ber." This report prolably arises from his being engaged cn the work en Revolution, which will eventually be needed to complete the Trilogy of which " L'Hernme qui Rit " forms the first l art. Xature says that the tri,gonometii,al survey of England and Wales, cn the scale cf cue inch to a mile, has been completed during the past week. It was commenced in the year 1701.—The Council of the Society of Arts have decided to create a new office, that of Inspector of the Educational Department, and have selected for ibis appointment Mr Critchett, who has been for thirteen years Assistant-Secretary. The latter office will not be filledup.— The culture of the Chinchona, or Peruvian bark, in St. Helena is progressing satisfactorily. The plants are all in excellent health, and have a fine, green, vigorous appear ance. There are now about 5,000 planted out, and it is thought a sufficient number can be obtained from them to stock the whole colony.—Professor Giebel, of Halle, reports the results cf some interesting experi ments which he has made with the object of ascertain ing the correctness of the popular notion that sparrows are destructive animals, feeding chiefly on grapes and stone-fruit. He found, on examining the intestines of seventy-three young sparrows, between the 18th of April and the 24th cf June last, that forty-six of them had fed exclusively on insects (beetles, caterpillars, &c.), and seven only exclusively on stone-fruit, the rest having all more or less fed on insects. An examination of forty-six old sparrows gave similar results; three only were fruit eaters, and the rest chiefly insect-eaters. Mr. T. W. Robertson (says the Orchestra) is preparing a new drama for the Adelphi Theatre.—Mr. Ella, we see, announces a course of lectures on harmony—a branch of musical education sadly neglected in this country.—The library presented to the South Kensing ton Museum, from the Musical Union Institute, Hanover square is accessible to the public, and contains valuable scores of sacred and secular chefs d'oeuvre. On the comple tion of the buildings, we hear that the director of the museum will set aside a room for a complete collection of scores of all the modern lyrical compositions. These are not to be seen in any public library in this country. FATAL EXPLOSION ON TYNESIDE. An explosion took place on Friday at Fletcher and ral coner's paper mill, on Tyneside, near Newcastle. The end of a large boiler was blown out. Two men who were standing in front were blown half way across the river. The bodies have not yet been recovered. The cause of the accident is unknown. LAW AND POLICE. FRAUDULENT FOREIGN ADVERTISEMENTS.—AIexIs 2nsor, alias Rinedson, the foreigner who stands charged with ob taining money by false pretences through fraudulent advertisements in foreign papers, has been brought to trial at the Surrey Sessions, but acquitted, as neither of the letters written to the governess from whom the money was obtained was proved to be in the prisoner's handwriting. The magistrate told the prisoner he was lucky in getting off on a technical point, as there could be no moral doubt of his guilt. He advised the prose cutrix to go to the:Belgian Consul, who would, doubtless, send her home. I~r•oXNGING THE POISONS Ac'r.—A chemist, named M - Call, has been summoned at Marlborough-street Police court for having infringed the Poisons Act. He had sold strychnine and oxalic acid, and had neglected to enter the name of the purchaser in a book, as well as to label the poison with his own name and address. The Pharma ceutical Society prosecuted. The defendant, who it was stated had been in business twenty-five years, was fined 40s. and costs. SHOOTING A SWAN.—A gentleman, named Mason, has been charged, at Willenhall, with shooting a swan. The bird was in a field on its owner's farm when shot, and the defendant said that he had never seen a swan in his life, and thought it was a wild bird. He was fined 2s. 6d. and costs, and ordered to pay a guinea, the value of the swan. THE LAW OF MASTER. AND SERVANT.—A footman named John Drinkwater sued Mr. Muntz, M.P., at the Warwick County Court for ss. 6d. arrears of wages, and XI Gs. Id. in lieu of a month's notice. It was shewn that the plaintiff had taken out one of his masters horses, and let it fall on its knees, and as it seemed that he had taken it w:thout leave, the jury found that he had been guilty of ur:sconduct, which was equivalent to a verdict for the defendant, POACHING AFFRAY.—Five men have been charged with wounding three gamekeepers at Newton Harcourt, near Leicester, with bludgeons. The evidence chewed that there had been a terrible affray in which the keepers, who were in the employ of Sir Henry Halford, were very severely injured. The prisoners each set up an alibi in defence, and two of them were discharged, the other three being committed for trial at the next assizes. Bail was accepted. The court was densely crowded, great interest being felt in the case. At a large meeting of joiners of Glasgow, held on Friday evening, it was determined that notice should be given to masters that after the Ist of March they would work only nine hours a day, and require an advance of a halfpenny an hour. THE DUCHESS OF SUTHERLAND, MISTRESS OF rim ROBES.—The Duchess of Sutherland, says the Pall Hall Gazette, has been appointed Mistress of the Robes, in the place of the Duchess of Argyll, whose illness obliged her to resign. Happily, however, although the Duchess of Argyll is still very ill, she is well on the way to recovery. WOMEN'S RIGHTS IN NEW YORK STATE. — Whatever else New York legislators may be, they cer tainly cannot be accused of want of gallantry, if the New York Tribune correctly reports the laws of the State. That unpolite journal, not content with disputing the justice of the complaints made by the lady agitators for women's rights, publishes a brief summary of the laws of the State relating to women, to shew that those complaints are un founded. From this summary it appears that women are legally capable of marrying and of making a will two years earlier than men ; and that sisters and brothers share alike in the estate of an intestate parent. If a woman marries, the enjoyment of her property is secured to her, free from her husband's control. Her earnings, also, are absolutely her own. Her husband is bound to sup port her, no matter whether she has money or not ; she need not employ a penny of her money on her own support, but may even run him in debt for that purpose, if he does not provide adequately for her wants. On the other hand, she cannot be required to contribute in any way to her husband's support, even to pay the cost of keeping him in the county poor-house. Her consent is necessary to the sale of any land her husband may purchase to extinguish her dower right ; but if she has land she may sell it without her husband's con sent, so her husband cannot deprive her after his death of a life interest in one-third of all his lands, but she can cut him off without an inch of her land or a cent. of her money. Again, a married woman cannot be imprisoned in any civil suit for any cause whatever. If she commits an assault, or destroys or appropriates her neighbour's property, her unlucky husband must pay the costs and damages, or go to trial for her misdoings. In regard to the custody of children, in cases of separation, the courts have a large discretion, in the exercise of which they almost always, we are told lean, to the mother's side. GREAT EXPLOSION.—On the afternoon of the 16th of December one Brophy, in the employ of Messrs. Roberts and Co., of Titusville, Pennsylvania, went into their nitro-glycerine warehouse near that town, stating thtt he was going to " thaw out some glycerine." Soon afterwards the town was startled by a concussion which shook every building, and, but for the protection of an inter vening bluff, would have razed every buildin,g to th. ground. It is supposed that 1,5001 b. of gunpowder, 5001 b. of com pound, and from 3,0001 b. to 4,0001 b. of glycerine exploded. People walking in the streets were thrown to the ground; heavy logs were I.urbll over trce3, and granite boulders were carved half a furlong. Windows were broken ; almost entire fronts blown in. A church bell was chimed several strokes. Where the ni:lgazine stood, tons of earth were blown away leaving a chasm large enough to contain a common,sized dwelling-house. A tavern, half a mile off, presented 'ire appearance of having been bcmlarded. The concussionewas distinctly felt at 'Oil City, eighteen miles distant. Brolly was blown to picees ; the largest remnant of him found was a section of the hip joint. It is stated that some of the glycerine did not explode, but wag tumbled outeto some distance. This had been packed in cans, which - were placed in wooden boxes and surrounded with plastic rof Psai4, the outside covering being securely fastened wif 'a screws to avoid ham mering' or jolting. FOREIGN NOTES. THE CECIT3IR ;ICIL COUSCIL. anys, Tor pigs ton clays aro allowed, - anCiror builoi 4 R's eighteen or twenty. The expense of the plant is in considerable, and in England the cost of preserving amounts to two or three pence for a sheep and to about a shilling for a bullock. Our correspondent at Rome, writing on the 2nd, refers to the long debate in the Aula four days previously. The subjects of discussion were not known, but it was under stood that they related to the Commission of Dogma and the discussion was a very warm one. Mgr. Strassmayer, Bishop of Bosnia, is said to have made a powerful address on the Ultramontane side, of which he is one of the great lights. At the last moment the architects contrived a sort of awning over the Aula which gave much better vibrations, and the congregation consequently still con tinue to be held in St. Peter's, much to the satisfaction of the Pope, and of everyone concerned, as the Sala dei Sacrizzori was both cold and inconvenient. The German bishops are by degrees ranging themselves amongst the definitors; and the whole of the Swiss epis copate has also declared itself on the same side. The public session of the Sixth Epiphany is looked forward to with the greatest anxiety, but it is difficult to believe that the business of the oJuncil can have far enough advanced to admit of a definition of the Papal infallibility being promulgated so soon. It is a question of time only, it is true, for the overwhelming majority of the bishops is in its favour. We cannot, however, pronounce with any precision as to the date, as no one save the persons sitting in the Council itself are acquainted with the stages of proceeding, and it is singular how completely the secret is kept even from those who are on ordinary ecclesias tical matters the best informed. What Rome does she generally does thoroughly, and on this occasion she has fully compassed her end of excluding outsiders. Even the malcontent bishops have fully respected this engagement to secrecy, and the Embassies themselves are in the dark as much as the " profanus vulgus." It is said that a few of the bishops, three from France, three from Germany, and three from America, agreed to meet privately at the lodging of the Archbishop of Paris, who was, of course, one of the number, Mgr. Dupanloup being another. However, they recaived, after their meeting, an intimation from the Court that no such meetings would be allowed in Rome, as the Council afforded ample oppor tunities for discussion, and all discussion must be there! The mode of electing the Oriental bishops is to` be changed. They are not in future to be elected as hitherto, but nominated by the Pope. Always the Pope. THE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, JANUARY 8, 1870. permit." By the same Act the period for enlistments was changed from three to five years, but at that date all the enlisted men of infantry were in for three years, begin ning mostly in 1866 and 1867. The Secretary of War, Gen. Schofield, with whom by law the discretion rested, saw at once that were he to wait for the number of officers to diminish to the standard of 25 regiments by the slow process of death and resignation, all the enlisted men would be discharged by the expiration of their term of service, and we would be compelled to abandon many of the forts in the Indian country. He, therefore, very wisely resolved to make the consolidation at once, so that new enlistments could be made to replace the men discharged by expiration of their terms of enlistment. His orders, prescribing the mode and manner of consolidation, were made on the 10th of March, and have been cairied into effect as fast as possible considering the scattered condi tion of the troops. The colonels and field officers were chosen here, and announced in general orders from these headquarters. The captains and lieutenants were selected by the commanding general of the departments in which the new regiments were to serve. As a general rule, all other things being equal, the senior of each grade was re tained, provided he was deemed qualified, and was actually present for duty. The recruiting service was resumed on the 28th of April, and has supplied about a thousand re cruits per month, barely enough to replace the dischare.,es in the nine exposed garrisons of the Indian country. The consolidation has thus been effected at as little cost as possible, and on principles as fair and just as the case admitted. ~ 71 ~ 7 10 . 11 . 4 THE KHEDIVE'S LETTER. The Levant Herald has published the text of the Khe dive's letter to the Grand Vizier, in acknowledgment of the Imperial firman. Up to Sunday, the 26th ult., the Viceroy had not replied to the telegram of the Porte ordering the despatch of the breech-loaders and the iron clads to the capital, and accordingly a second message was telegraphed demanding an explanation. A private telegram states that the arms and ships will not be surrendered. It is said that the Viceroy will not object to delivering up the arms and ships, because he has been overcharged for thorn, but this assertion has been do dared to be a ruse to discourage the Sultan from persist ing in his demands. The only thing certain is that as yet the Viceroy has made no sign of surrendering either guns. or ships. THE F.NEYEROR NAPOLEON'S POLICY. The Gazette, of Turin, declares that the Emperor Napo leon is liberal in France and oppressive in Italy, and that his wonderful conversion to justice and works of repara tion does not enable him to extend his efforts beyond the French frontier. It points out the arbitrary character of his proceedings in his military occupation of sem, of the Italian provinces, thus withholding from them that liberty which the French authorities seem so highly t.. appreciate. The inconsistency which appears in the diffe rent policy pursued toward the French and the Italian. is accounted for by the fact that the former knew how to make themselves heard and understood. The remedial change in Paris has been brought about by the constrain in; influence of the people. " Heaven knows if the Italians are likely to follow their example and exert such a power." TILE PRUSSIAN PRESS ON FRANCE. The Berlin Borsen:eituny says that the Emperor Napoleon will make every possible use of the liberal puppet, and so c ,joie public opinion. Those who know the Emperor dc not believe that he intends to turn liberal. He has kept his place by destroying every vestige of municipal freedom and without such freedom a parliamentry government is impossible. The Emperor knows this very well and endeavours to make a showy constitutionalism serve his turn. A parliamentary empire can never become more than the vain dream of some ambitious men. SPAIN AND AMERICA. The diplomatic correspondence between the Spanish and American Governments has been laid before the United States' Senate. A few weeks after the inaugui ation of General Grant's Administration, the Spanish Minister was informed that United States citizens had the right to carry articles for the enemies of Spain on the high seas, subject to seizure for such as were contraband of war. This was in respect of the decree of the Captain-General authorising the capture of vessels carrying men or effects in aid of the insurgents, and directing the execution as pirates of persons so captured. The American Minister hoped the proclamation would be recalled, as it might endanger the relations between the two Governments. The Spanish Minister afterwards endeavoured to obtain a proclamation against the dis patching of expeditions and arms to the insurgents from the stores of the United States. Secretary Fish replied that there was no need of such a proclamation as the United States Government had " been foremost in the assertion of neutral rights, and in setting the example of enforcing a strict neutrality." A demand for compensation for certain families follows, with promises of repa ration from Spain. A conversation with General Prim is reported by Minister Sickles, in which tho General said there was a great difference between the Cuban insurrection and the War of Independence in America. In Cuba there were only roving bands, who fled when pursued. Minister Sickles, writing on August 24th, says that he finds less susceptibility to the idea of a transfer of the island to the United States than to a conces sion of the independence of Cuba, as there was a fear that the persons and property of Spaniards would not besafe in the latter case. In September Mr. Roberts, on behalf of Spain, argues against the rumoured purpose of the States to accord belligerent rights to the insurgents. Mr. Fish replies somewhat haughtily to the effect that the States have no such intention, but reminds Mr. Roberts that Spain conceded belligerency to the South sixty-six days after the bloodless attack on Sumter. The United States have often, he says, remonstrated in the interest of humanity against the manner in which the Cuban contest is waged, and they reserve the right of future action, as the present state of affairs could not be indefinitely prolonged. Of late tho Spaniards seem especially anxious to con ciliate the United States, and the last communication dated December 3rd, from General Sickles to Mr. Fish, informs him that the Foreign Secretary wished to assure him that Spain now desires the most friendly relations with all the American Republics, and intends in her colonial policy to begin immediately the most liberal re forms. • ' THE HARBOUR 01 ADEN. The Pall Mall Gazette calls attention to the latest news respecting the condition of Adon. The Secretary of State for India has asked for a report on the best means of im proving the channel and harbour, and the Bombay papers announce that the probable cost of the work will be in cluded in this year's Budget, and the dredging machi nery which will be required will in all probability be ordered from England. Aden has been styled the Gibraltar of the Red Sea, but it has not received sufficient attention at the hands of the English Government. The port has been neglected. Aden is the coaling station for the steamers running between Suez and the seaports of India and China, and it also gains a considerable share of Arabian commerce. The Mocha coffee is brought to Aden for shipment, and the African and Arabian mer chants are inclined to regard the port as a centre for the trade of the Red Sea and the west part of the Indian Ocean. THE PRESERVATION OF MEAM Professor Gamgee has returned from America, where he has been making practical researches with a view to determine the best mode of preserving the flesh of animals for food. lie is ready, it is said, with a method of preservation that he is prepared to expose to all reasonable tests, and by which he expects at once to remove butcher's meat from the number of perishable commodities. The system has already been tried in England. By the help of Miss Bonser, of Newgate Market, a certain number of preserved carcases were offered to butchers for sale at a somewhat enhanced price, the result being that a continuous supply has been thrown into the market and sold with readiness. There is little in co!our and appearance, and nothing as regards flavour and texture, to distinguish the preserved meat from that slaughtered in the usual way. The chief or only difference is that the former will keep good from periods varying from three to twelve months, according to the length of time it has been exposed to the gases employed. The chief agent is sulphurous acid. In addition to the value of the discovery in the way of preserving meat, much of the cruelty attending the present system of killing will be done away with. In the first place the animals are killed by being made to breathe carbonic oxide—that is, by a process analagous to the administration of chloroform, whereby insensibility is quickly produced. The animal is then bled, the carcase dressed in the ordinary way, and when cold placed in an , air-tight chamber into which an atmosphere of mixed car bonic oxide and nitrogen is driven by a blower. Acid thrown off from charcoal is subsequently imparted to the meat, which is then loft in the chamber-un clistuded .fQz. _in the_ case of_ sheen. alma TIM SCIENCE OF ORTHOPRAXY. A correspondent of the Standard, advocatin g the science of orthopraxy, states that a poor Scotch woman afflicted with o•angrene in both bands and feet was deprived of them by amputation. Mr. Heather Bigg, a metropolitan practitioner, hearing of her case, proposed to replace the lost members artificially. The patient was sent from Dundee to London, where she was supplied with the new members, and in three clays was enabled to walk with the aid of a friend's arm, to use a knife and fork, to write a legible hand, to knit, thread a needle, and even to take up a pin. "So painful," adds the writer, "is the sight of a mutilated mem ber, that the restoration of the lost extremities, even in appearance, would be no small achievement and boon, but to enable a person, who was in a state of utter helplessness, to walk and employ her time use fully, is well-nigh miraculOus. I perceive this is con sidered by the medical and surgical world to be the most triumphant mastery over superhuman diffi culties ever known, and thus it must strike every un professional mind." One threatening letter has been traced to its ap parent source—viz., the note received by Mr. Scott, farmer, near Drowara, and threatening him with certain peculiar " pains and penalties" if he did not evict an under-tenant. Suspicion fell upon a man named Charles Burns ; he was got to write a letter in presence of witnesses, and the hand writing cf this experimental epistle and the threatening letter was so very similar, that Burns was arrested. The potty sessions magistrates, after hearing the evidence, sent the prisoner for trial to the Newry quarter sessions. An explosion, accompanied by a terrible confla gration, occurred yesterday, at the chemical works of Messrs. Derneuth, on the Birmingham-road, Oldbury, where a sad accith nt occurred nine mouths ago, by which several men lost their live... A pipe burst which con nects a boiler and a still in the lower part of the works, whore the stills are kept. The tar caught fire, and the flames rose to a height of 150 feet. The quantity of tar consumed must kayo been enormous. No one was seriously injured. The Irish Lawyers are taking much interest in a cause which is to come on to-morrow in Dublin, before a court which has not sat for 41 years. The Lord Chan cellor, the Chief Justice of the Queen's Bench, the Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, and the Lord Chief Baron will sit as visitors in open court, in the College-hall, to try an issue on the part of Dr. M'Swiney, Professor of Medical Jurisprudence in the Catholic University, against the College of Physicians, for excluding him from the Fellowship of the College. Dr. M'Swinoy's involves three other cases. Yesterday morning an accident of a very shocking character occu red in Newgate-street, Newcastle. About eleven o'clock a baker's horse and cart was left by the driver standing alone in the street. The horse suddenly bolted down the footpath at a furious rate. There was a largo number of foot passengers walking along at the time, and before they knew what was coming the horse came tearing along, knocking several of them down who could not get out of the way in time. Altogether five children, who were looking into the windows at the time of the accident, wore knocked down and seriously injured, besides several grown up people, who more or less sustained injuries. At first it was thought two of the children wore dead, but on examine. tion it was found that they were suffering from compressE n of the. brain, and under the care of Dr. Murray they at length rallied, and are now out of clanger. THE NATIONAL EDUCATION LEAGUE. A meeting of the representative working men wa d s hold at Birmingham on Wednesday night to confer with the officers of the Education League. Mr. G. Dixon. M.P., presided, and in his address said tha . , whether they wished it or not, the question was assuming a political aspect. In all parts of the kingdom the League was supported by the Liberals, and as a rule, its opponents were Conservatives. He asked the 20,000 Birmingham men who voted for the Liberals at the last election to join the League, because there was great doubt in the House of Commons as to the wishes of the working classes regarding the question of education. A large number of trades unionists and other working men took part in the discussion; and an almost unanimous approval of the plan of the League was expressed. Messrs. Rafferty, Devey, and Smith advo cated the exclusion of Bible reading from rate supported schools, and completely secular educa tion. Another speaker advocated Bible reading, which was received with expressions of dissent. Mr. Dixon refused to say, in reply to Mr. INPLelland, whether not he would support a clause excluding the Bible from rAte-supported schools. Mr. M`Lelland referred to the difficulty experienced with regard to tlr3 Bible in Irish schools. Mr. Joseph Chamberlain, chairman of the executive, spoke of the " vexed question of Bible reading," and saidl that the League did not make the Bible a text-book. The subscriptions now reached £50,000, and the nienibers of the League ,r,; , :riber 9,000. REPORT OF THE GENERAL OF THE ARMY. HEAD-QUARTERS OF THE ARMY, WASHINGTON, D. 0., Nov. 20, 1869. General—l have now the honour to submitmy report of the Army for the present year. At the time of the last annual report Gen. U. S. Grant was in command of the Army, and remained until the 4th of March, 1869, when he became President of the United States, and I suc ceeded him as General-ia-Chief. The confirmation of my commission was announced on the sth day of March, and I was ordered to assume command March 8, which I did. At that time Major-Gen. J. M. Schofield was Secre tary of War, and continued in that capacity until March 13, when Gem John A. Rawlins was duly commissioned and entered upon his duties as Secretary of War, a post he filled until his death, Sept. 6, when the President con ferred on me the commission, with the understanding that it was to be held only until he could select a succes sor, and it afforded me great pleasure on the Ist inst. to give place to yourself, Gen. W. W. Belknap. As these changes have in a measure affected the course of events, I believe that you will be pleased that I take a wider view of the history and condition of the Army and its adminis tration than is customary for the !Commander-in-Chief. LINE or THE ARMY. For tho purpose of military responsibility and govern ment, the domain of the United States is divided into 12 departments and three districts, each under the command of an experienced general officer, who by law is invested with all the powers of the commanding-general of an army in the field, and is held responsible for the discipline and maintenance of the troops, the preservation of good order, so far as the military authority extends, and for the care of all public property that belongs to the army. The limits and boundaries of these departments are better de scribed by the map and tabular statements herewith than by any mere words I could give. In order to prompt action in case of need, and to place similar territory and similar interests under a common commander, these departments are again grouped into four military divisions, which are commanded by the four generals next in rank to the Commander-in-Chief. By the organic law of July 28, 1866, as modified by that of March 3, 1869, the regular army now consists of five regiments of artillery, 10 of cavalry, 25 of infantry, a battalion of engineers and the cadets of the Military Academy. These are all assigned to the several depart ments by regiments or companies ' • but each Division- Cemmander can re-enforce any point within his command by transferring the troops from one of the departments to another. As a general rule, the artillery companies are distributed iu the permanent forts along the seaboard from Eastport, Maine, to the mouth of the Rio Grande, and from San Diego, California, to Alaska, serving on foot. One com pany of each regiment is mounted and equipped as light artillery ; one of these companies is stationed at Wash ington, and the other four at Fort Riley, Kansas, as a school of instruction. Another company of each regiment (in all five) is stationed at Old Point Comfort, as a school of instruction for heavy or seacoast artillery. All the ten regiments of cavalry are serving in Texas, the Indian country, and Pacific Territories, with the ex ception of a single company here in Washington, which is the only cavalry east of tho Mississippi. The 25 regi ments of infantry aro distributed : One regiment along the Northern frontier, one in Virginia, one in Mississippi, and three in the Department of the South. The remaining 19 are in Texas, the Indian country, and Western States and Territories. Three companies of engineer troops are at Willett'a Point, New York harbour, ono at Jefferson Barracks, Mis souri, and one at Yerba Buena Island, San Francisco har bour, doing garrison duty, and more especially designed to preserve the practical knowledge of field fortifications, of mines, and of pontoon bridging. The cadets are at the West Point Academy, undergoing instructions preparatory to being commissioned as officers of the army. At this moment we have not a single regiment that may be said to be in reserve. All are on duty, and I have con stant calls for more troops, which cannot be granted. I beg, therefore, your earnest attention to this matter ; that Congress may be . appealed to not to diminish the mili tary establishments any further, because of the great extent of our country, the unsettled character of a region measured north and south, east and west by thousands of miles, the nomadic character of the Indians who inhabit this region, and the growing necessity to afford greater protection to the roads that traverse this region, and the mining and agricultural interests therein. ‘Vhile the nation at large is at peace, a state of quasi war has existed, and continues to exist over one-half of its extent, and the troops therein are exposed to labours, marches, tights, and dangers that amount to war. Were the troops withdrawn, or largely diminished, in Texas, the Indian country, iu Arizona, New Mexico, Montana, Idaho, in Alaslta, as well us in some parts of our own Southern States, 1 believe a condition of things would re sult amounting to anarchy. CONSOLIDATION. By the organic Act of July 28, 1866, fixing the peace establishment, there was a provision for 45 regiments of infantry. To the Appropriation Bill passed March 3, 1869, was attached a clause as follows :—" That there shall be nu new commissions, no promotions, and no enlistments in any infantry regiments until the total numbsr of in fantry regiments is reduced to 25, and tke Secretary of War is hereby directed to consolidate the infantry regi ments as rapidly as the requirements of the public service and the reduction of the number of officers wil By this consolidation were rendered supernume rary (officers) Assigned to fill vacancies Transferred to fill vacancies in cavalry Transferred to fill vacancies in artillery Resigned ~, Die cf Dismissed Cashiered Retired Total ... 5 Balance of unattachedofficere, Nov. 1 ... ... 4 509 Accounted for as follows : On recruiting service On Jndian service ... On Reconstruction duty As Professors in Civil Colleges On duty in United States Military Academy ... As aides-de-camp to general officers ... On duty in War Department On duty at headquarters of Division Departments and Districts .. ••• ••• ••• ••• On duty in Quartermaster's and Subsistence De partments As Acting Signal Officers Bureau of Freedmen, Refugees, and Abandoned Lands Ou Engineer duty ... ~. ... ... ... On Ordnance duty Commanding Military District Reconstruction ... Commanding Posts ... On duty with General Sickles ... Total ... 553 Balance "awaiting orders" 156 Of this latter number there are reported physically die qualified, twenty (20); intemperate, coven (7); under sus pension, three 43) ; in arrest, three (3) ; inefficient, two (2) ; at home at their own request, ninety-six (96). If disband ment must coins—and I suppose it is inevitable—it is but fair that the blow should first fall on those last named. But the 353 unattached officers are among our very best, who have in battle earned their commission, and who are ill qualified to be thrown out of their chosen profession to begin life anew. Their claims are entitled to the gene rous consideration of the Government, and I feel assured they will receive it, and to this end will endeavour to sub mit all the facts of the case, with such suggestions as seem appropriate and likely to facilitate their retention in the military service. In the first place, in the reorgan ization of the army in 1566 the law provided for four regi ments of veteran reserve troops, the officers of which were chosen because they had become disabled by wounds in the war of the Rebellion. In the consolida tion these regiments were put on a par with the others, and several of the officers, though wounded and disabled, are provided for in the new organization ; still the great majority have been left out, and, in fact, are disqualified, by the loss of limbs or other physical disability, for the exposure and activity of our in fantry regiments. They would be entitled to be retired under existing laws were it not for the fact that the number of officers to be retired is limited by the six teenth linden of the act approved May 3, 1861, to seven (7) per cent. of the officers of the whole army. This limit of seven p,r cent. of officers in service was very large ; and now that it is reduced the number that can be retired by reason of ago, or infirmity, or by reason of wounds is comparatively small. I earnestly recommend that this limit be removed and that the President be allowed to retiro any number for cause, viz.: for wounds iu battle or age ; or, if it be deemed prudent to fix a limit, that it be fixed at some specific number, say 250. The number now retired is one hundred and seventy-seven (177). By the present organization of the army, the artillery, and cavalry have to each regiment one colonel, one lieute nant-colonel, three majors, and twelve companies, whereas the infantry regiments have one colonel, one lieutenant-colonel, one major, and ten companies. STAFF OF THE ARMY. This term applies to those officers and men who admin ister to the wants of every military establishment, and are in our service classified as adjutant-general, inspector general, bureau of military justice, quartermasters, com missaries, surgeons, paymasters, corps of engineers, chief signal otlicer, and post chaplains. Their names imply their respective duties, and the organic law of 1866 limits and prescribes their numbers. The heads of th se de partments reside in Washington, and submit annually a written report of their operations for the past year. It so happened that I was Secretary of War during the month of October when by law these reports were made, in order to reach the public printer by the first of Novem ber, and I required all the annual reports to be addressed like all other military reports to the Adjutant-General for the perusal of the General of the Army, who could make use of such iaormation as they contain, uud then lay them before the Secretary of War. This is, iu my judgment, the souse that should always be pur sued, though a different one has heretofore prevailed ; for otherwise we would have the absurdity of a general commanding the army with his chief staff officers report ing to somsbody else. The general can have no objection to any amount of business being forced upon the depart ments by Congress, by the President, or Secretary of War but all orders and instructions touching army move. wants by law must pass through the General of the Army, that he may know what is transpiring (See section 2, Aitt of Congress approved March 2, 1807). This matter has already, attracted the attention of Congress, for I find a printed report on army organization was made on the 26th of February, 1869, by Mr. Garfield, from the Com mittee on Military Affairs, to the House of Representa tives. This report, with the testimony of several officers therewith, contains much matter that is worthy of the most serious consideration. I need only to refer to some ,1 of its conclusions :—" The staff departments, or corps, are, in the opiniop of the Committee, too large in propor tion to the line of the army." There has been for a long time a tendency toward the multiplication of departments, increase of rank, and in dependence of control in the staff, that ought to be checked. " The staff departments by custom, rather than by legislation, have become almost absolutely indepen dent of generals commanding military departments and districts, even, of the General-in-Chief of the Army. In the opinion of the committee, all officers of the staff de partments should be as directly under the control and supervision of the general and the department comman ders as officers of the line now are. This reform can be effected better by administration than by legislation, for this independence of the staff departments finds no warrant in law, except in regard to engineer officers, who are, by a clause in one of the Articles of War, made subject only to the orders of their superiors in their own corps, and to the President." I heartily concur in these views, and, so far as my authority goes, will carry them out. It would be absurd to hold Gen. Schofield, or Gen. Augur, or Gen. Hancock responsible for affairs in their most important departments if they have not tho abso lute command of their troops and all the staff officers who minister to their necessities. If Congress will enact the new Articles of War all hurtful distinctions hereto fore existing will at once cease, and all parts of the army will be put on the same honourable footing. The marked distinction made in favour of the officers by the 63rd Article of War has been tho cause of a great deal of mis chief •, but when taken in consideration with the 96th Article I am satisfied that within "the line of their imme diate profession " they are as much subject to orders as the officers of the Quartermaster's Department. To place them on duty outside the sphere of their profes sional duties is, in my opinion, all that was ever intended by the 63d Article as required by the orders of the Presi dent; yet the conclusion arrived at by the Committee is the interpretation which engineer officers themselves have usually placed on the law, and for this reason, in the new articles of the law, the one in question is omitted altogether. For my part I have no wish to command the Engineer Corps, or any other corps; but if it forms a part of the regular army of the United States it is all-important that the Generals who command the military departments, and are charged with the general supervision of all army matters within their limits, should be able to avail them-. selves of this most important branch of the army, receive from them the usual reports of the status of the national defences, &c., without asking it as a special favour, or ap plying to the President for his permission in each case. General Humphreys gives, in great detail, the condition of the various forts with whose construction, alteration, and repair his department has been engaged. Nearly all seacoast forts were planned at a time when the eight inch gun was the heaviest afloat, and before rifled guns came into use. Now, however, that ordnance of tha 15 and 20 inch calibres, throwing a shot over 1,000 paunds in weight with a velocity of 1,500 feet per second, have come into general use, the problem of resistance is en tirely changed. It is believed that casemate forts, no matter how reinforced with iron, are not able to resist these shot, and changes must be made to meet these changes of facts. The engineer officers have carefully studied this subject, and have made many most valuable experiments ; and, in connection with the officers of ord nauco and artillery, they should continue these experi ments. The Board of Engineers in New York has laid down five general propositions for application to all modification of the seacoast forts, which I heartily ap prove, viz.— First. The use of barbette batteries of earth, with deep parapet, and a liberal number of bomb proof and magazine traverses. Second. The use of the heaviest guns practicable, with carriages admitting of the gun being depressed below the parapet for loading. Third. An abundant supply of heavy mortars. Fourth. The use of torpedoes. Fifth. Entanglements to hold a fleet long enough for destruction. Taking the new "Fort Winthrop," in Boston harbour, as sample, I am satisfied that these propositions fulfill all theconditions of the probl em . No foreignartity will be likely to attempt a landing on our coast, and all that a hostile fleet c all att empt w i ll be to run by the forts and lay the citi es un d er contribution. On firii land we can handle guns of h eav i er ca lib re and with more i accuracy of, aim than any enemy can his afloat; and in my judgment no armoured ship as yet built can long exist within the range of our 20-inch guns, or even of the 15-inch guns, if skilfully handled. I therefore recommend that the forts covering the cities of Portland, Boston, Now York, Phila delphia, Baltimore, New Orleans, and San Francisco should be pushed to completion as soon as practicable. All other points might be neglected for the present. The report of General Dyer, Chief of Ordnance, con tains much that is of the greatest interest to the army. All our troops aro now supplied with breech-loading small arms•of the best kind, fully equal to any in use by foreign armies. Yet, as inventions, and so- called improvements are all the time being pressed by inventors, I have corn- , mated to a board of experienced and practical officers in St. Louis, with General Schofield at his head, the task of making a practical test of all small arms and ammunition that may bo submitted prior to March 1, 1870. I concur with Gen. Dyer perfectly in his recommenda tions that the small and surplus arsenals at Borne, N. Y. ; Champlain, Vt. ; Mount Vernon, Ala.; Analachicola, Fla. ; Fayetteville, N. C. ; be sold, as well as the captured establishments at Shreveport, La.; Marshall and Jefferson, Texas; and in Marion and Davis Counties, Texas. Other small arsenals might, in due course of time, be sold, until we have at central points but a few great arsenals and depots of powder, and these should be of the most perfect kind on the most extensive scale. Our railroads can ra pidly transfer from these arsenals the requisite stock at the times and to the places needed on short notice.-1 have the honour to be your obedient servant, W. T. SHERMAN, General. Gen. W. W. Belknap, secretary of War. SHERIDAN'S REPORT. The report of General Sheridan accompanies that of the General of the Army. lien. Sheridan commands the Military Division of the Missouri, which embraces the Departments of Dakota, the Platte, and the Missouri, commanded respectively by Major Gen. W. S. Hancock, Brevet Major Gon C. C. Augur, and Major Gun. J. M. Schofield. These three departments cover a terri tory of great extent, in which most of the civilized, semi civilized, and wild Indians abide. The Commander re ports that all the commands have been economically and successfully administered during the past year. The number of troops would be sufficient if the companies are kept filled to their maximum. The report then con tinues as follows: —A great many of the settlers in Mon tana have been murdered, and 500 or 600 head of stock captured and run off within the last 50 days, and much bitter complaint has been made by the settlers on account of non-protection ' the few troops stationed in Montana being insufficient to meet the wants ofthe case. There has also been a great deal of trouble along the Missouri River, and a number of people murdered in the vicinity of the military posts. The friendly Indians and the agents and employes at Big Cheyenne, Grand River, and Whitstone agencies, have been in jeopardy on several occasions, as the wild Indians have at times had ‘heir own way, driving the employes into the agency buildings, taking possession of the annuity goods, and taking the cattle. Steps have been taken to remedy these evils, as far as we can, by the erection of block-houses. The post at fort Buford has been in a state of siege for two or three years. In the early spring I hope to be able to send a few troops from the Department of the Platte to the Department of Dakota. Although there have been numerous depredations in the Department of Dakota, and some, in fact, in all the departments ' still the condition of Indian aff a irs is very much better than last year. Tho policy of reservations adopted by the Indian Department is, in my judgment, the only policy that will put an end to Indian murders aid depredations. I think that it may be necessary to punish some of the Sioux as the Cheyennes and other tribes South had to be punished before peace can be fully established and the reservation system made a suc cess ; but every effort will be made to avoid any necessity of this kind, with the strong hope that the savages may settle down on their reservation and adopt a more peaceful and civilized life. The Indians have run riot along the lines of our Western settlements and the emigrant and commercial lines of travel for many years, murdering and plundering without ny adequate punishment, and the Government has here ofore sought to give protection to some of its best inte rests by making presents to these savages •, or, in other words, while it found it necessary to enact the most strin gent laws for the government of civilized whites, it was attempting to govern a wild, brutal, and savage people without any laws at all, or the infliction of any punish ment for the most heinous crimes. This system was not a success. If a white man commits murder or robs, we hang him or send him to the penitentiary. if an Indian does the same, we have been in the habit of giving him more blankets. The Indian is a lazy, idle vagabond ; he never labours, and has no profession, except that of arms, to which be is raised from a child ; n scalp is constantly dangled be fore his eyes, and the highest honour he can aspiro to is to possess ono taken by himself. It is not to be wondered at, therefore, if he aims for the honour when he grows up, especially if there is no punishment to follow the bar barous act. The Government has always been very liberal to In dians, especially whenever they have settled on reserva tions ; the lands allotted to them have been of the very best character, making them, perhaps, by far the richest communities in the country. The system of supplying the wild band under the pre sent management is working well ; the Indian gets all the Government intends him to have; he cannot now plead bad faith ; and, if he does not now give up his cruel and de structive habits, I see no other way to save the lives and property of our people than to punish him until peace becomes a desirable object. Tho troops at the different posts throughout the military division are quartered (officers and men) comfortably. The expenses for the ensuing year will be much less than for the past; however, a very largo portion of the expenses of the last year were very properly charge able to the Indian Department. I cannot close this report without expressing my high appreciation of the efficient management of the present Commissioner of Indian Affairs, and assure him that every effort will be made by the military to assist him in his difficult and highly responsible duties.—l am, General, very respectfully, your obedient, servant, P. H. SHERIDAN, Lieutenant-General U. S. Army. Brevet Major-Gem E. D. Townsend, Adjutant-General, 1 Washington, D.O. (From the Anglo-American Times.) Satisfaction is expressed in America at the announce ment that England has agreed to the transferof the Alabama claims negotiations to Washington, and the difficulty is there considered to be in a fair way of adjustment, if an agent be appointed who can comprehend that there are two sides to a question, and not obstinately limit his view to one. The despatch of Mr. Fish, so harshly criticised . _ _ _ in England, is, in America, thought a fair and able exposi tion of the case ; but it is evident despatches will not hasten a settlement. Sir Charles Dilke addressed his constituents on Thursday at the Vestry- ball, Kensington, on foreign relations, and as he took the wrong, side, or rather no side, he was done into the smallest of type, "solid minion," as compositors call it, and put in a very abridged form in a corner by the Times. Sir Charles wont at some length, the report says, into the state of our rela tions with America, and said Mr. Sumner's speech had been greatly misunderstood. He had been thought to have made an altogether new claim, instead of which be had only stated the American case in nearly the same words in which it had been stated before. Mr. Sumner bad been astonished sit the misconception of his speech, which, to gether with Mr. Motley's instructions, must be read as one. In their recent correspondence, Lord Clarendon had made out a strong case of law, and Mr. Fish of senti ment, but by writing despatches wo should not con vince Americans, nor they us. The President, in his late Message, had gone out cf his way to say that the re cognition of belligerency was a matter which every na tion should consider for itself—a declaration which must have been made to aid a settlement of the Alabama ques tion. He thought that the. idea of arbitration should be abandoned, and that an English commission should be appointed to adjust the claims. If Mr. Bright refused to go as a special envoy, Sir Henry Bulwer and the Duke of Argyll wore both good men ; but he was of opinion that the mission at Washington should be raised to the first class, and that the Ambassador should treat. In any case negotiations must be held at Washington, as the Senate was the treaty-making power. Affairs have reached a pretty pass at the Red River Settlement, where a telegram of yesterday an nounces a reign of terror, 45 loyal Canadians having been tried by what the insurgents call "court-martial," meaning thereby a body of lynchers, and sentenced to banishment, four being retained as hostages. The banished are on their way to Canada, as is Governor M'Dougal), who was re called by an Order in Council, and is expected immediately at Ottawa. The Scotch, English, and French inhabitants of Red River are anxious that the Canadian Government should take possession of the country, but are powerless against the armed body of French settlers. THE EUREKA GOLD MINE.—We are happy to see a revival in London of investment in mines on the Pacific Slope, which,. when well selected, will prove most remn nerative, although they must always be regarded as specu lative. The Eureka is not like many of the mines hitherto offered in the London market, for it is an old well-known property in California, indeed in America, yielding large and regular dividends. It is in Grass Valley, Nevada County, of California:; a place noted for the wealth of its yield in gold. The Eureka is frequently alluded to in the papers before Ile from California, and always as one of the most valuable properties. On the 10th November there wa s a great jollification there on the completion of the shaft, an event celebrated by balls and banquets; every de partment then having its full compliment of hands. Mining in Grass Valley, says the Union of Nov. 28, was never more brisk than it is to-day_" The Eureka and Idaho keep up their same old steady lick, giving no astounding items, but turn out big dividends.". On the sth December the same paper remarks—" The Eureka mine, yesterday morn ing, sent to San Francisco,, gold to:the amount of $28,500." From the Gazette of the 3d December we extract —" It was reported yesterday that the Eureka mine, Grass Valley, had been sold to an English company for $1,500,000." These statements are taken at random from papers of Nevada County, as we naturally look there for our infor mation, instead of to the prospectus which we to-day pub lish. Those who seek large dividends can judge of the prospectus for themselves, but this we can say for the Eureka, that it is a long established, highly considered, and one of the most remunerative of the mining properties of California. Georgia has recommenced the reconstruction game from the beginning. The wcrst of the reconstruction laws is that there are grave doubts whether they are laws at all, but the will of the majority imposed on a fractious minority. The Senate called for papers about Georgia, and among them, by accident, appeared an anonymous letter to the President containing a scurrilous attack on Governor Bullock and the Republican State Committee. The President intending it for the waste-paper basket, with others of the sumo character, left it on the table, when the copying clerks took it as one of their documents, hence its appearance in official form before the Senate of the United States. A bill imposing conditions was brought into the Senate and passed, and after a hard fight was carried through the House by Butler, whereby the old Legislature is to be assembled, every ono taking an ironalad oath which will exclude the obnoxious element, and after ratifying the Fifteenth Amendment the members from Georgia will be readmitted by Congress. The Pre sident signed the bill, and the War Department assigned General Terry to duty as military commander pending the reorganisation of the State Legislature. The Admiuis tration considers the recent Act, to repeal all laws passed since the first organisat'on of the Georgia Government after the war, so, as we said before, Georgia is to begin again. But the Ku-Klux have put it out of the President' power, or that of Congress or of Terry, to bring back all I he old members, for several have been assassinated, and some 5 or Ii are not to be found. An interesting question has been discussed, started, too, by the Christian Union, the new paper of the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher —" Should General Butler be hung?" The Christian Union argues that slavery was the misfortuneof the South, not being established by the present generation, who were reared under the influences it com manded in society; moreover, the whole country was re sponsible for the system, while none in the South, not even Calhoun in politics and Thornwell in the pulpit, were more responsible for its evils and its final mad attempt at the life of the Union, than such Democrats as was Gen. But ler a few years ago. Then it asks should he be hung or dis franchised? for what he did to support a system which was the origin and inspiration of secession. The truth is,. the nation was guilty, and was punished for slavery It is worthy of remark, in conjunction with that fact, that the old original sinner iu the premises was England, and England has partaken of the punishment. It was 1 ngland that commenced the slave system in her North American colonies. The Northern States, knowing it to be a sin, and admitting the evil, taerated and fostered it, and the South took it to its bosom as its darling institution, and all three will have been punished about in the degree of their guilt, after England has paid a round sum for the Alabama claims. Whether Butler should be hung or not may be regarded from another than the Christian Union's point of view. He was called upon to take an active part in a very difficult and dangerous duty, doing his work with courage and decision. It is not impossible, had the North been thoroughly defeated and Bahr captured in New Orleans, that he would have been hung, and this risk he fairly ran. In war, right or wron gis decided by success or defeat; and when Lee or any other Southern General, however patriotic in intention or noble in character, was defeated, he might be hung because he was defeated, and would have been in almost any other country, without re ference to his private character, his conqueror being re warded and ennobled without reference to his. -- The Senate's power of veto on a treaty is awk ward for the Washington Executive in dealing with foreign countries. Commissioners Porter, Ingalls, and Crockett concluded their arrangement with President Baez for Samana Peninsula on a fifty years' lease at $150,000 per annum in gold, with the right of purchase within the period for $2,000,000, the price originally offered by Mr. Seward. The question has arisen, what is the whole of Sa❑ Domingo worth ? Many Senators be lieve that it could be secured to the United States for little or nothing, and others doubt the value of the pos session on any terms. Hence an opposition is arising to the treaty, which will be submitted to the Senate when it again meets after the holidays, and the subject is being ventilated by the press. The Government holds the opinion we expressed last week, that the island will rapidly fall into the hands of the United States ; and Admiral Porter, who is under orders to proceed to Samana, at the request of the President, in the vessels about to sail there on a secret mission, believes 'that the whole coast of Hayti will not exceed a million and a half of dollars, the million being paid in arms and munitions of war now use less to the Union. Already the people of San Domingo are exerting themselves to overthrow Baez ere the Senate can ratify the treaty, and it is thus that the United States will become involved in tLe internal out $lOO,OOO in gol_d for Baez besides munitions of war. If that money is paid and the overthrow of the President affairs of the island. But the Albany has already carried follows, what then will be the position ? Buying territory from a San Domingo President is like buying laud from a Maori chief, who has but little more right to it than any body else ; therefore as soon as his claim is satisfied ano ther is brought forward. The only telegrams of the week not elsewhere die cussed are as follows - The Western Union T elegra ph opera tors are on strike,causing great interruption ofthe telegrapbic communication throughout the country We suppose this is an illustration of the saying, " when the cat is away the mice will play," for the president of the company, Mr. Orton, arrived in Europe only a few weeks ago. From Hayti we learn that the revolutionists surprised and cap tured Port-au-Prince on the night of the 18th December. The capture was effected without bloodshed, Salnave and a few followers taking refuge at Fort Alexandre. There Salnave held out with 1,000 followers, refusing to capitu late, while the insurgents in force hold the town. The New York State Legislature have rescinded their former resolution ratifying the negro suffrage amendment. The amiou of the United States on Cuban affairs appears to have snuffed out all that remained of the revolt. From Havannah on the 2d January it was asserted that it was nearly suppressed; large bodies of the insurgents having surrendered to the authorities; the Cuban Junta had instructed its adherents to abandon the revolution for the present as impracticable, on account of the adverse at titude of the United States. This, however, was vehe mently denied by the New York Junta. The Times had this telegram from Havannah, dated January 2 :—"Ces pedes has left the island. The Revolutionary New York Junta publishes a manifesto urging the insurgents to lay down their arms. 1,500 surrendered at Tunas." We might suppose from these contradictory statements (all about the same date) that treachery was at work, though it may be accounted for by the fact that the Junta in New York has contracted such a habit of lying that it cannot tell the truth. Intelligence from Paraguay to the Bth December an nounces that Lopez has Leen routed in his last stronghold and has fled with his family and a few officers to Bolivia. Count d'Eu and General Paranhos, with the allied forces, are returning, leaving 6,000 Brazilian and 2,000 Argentine troops in Paraguay. The telegram received at the Bra zilian Legation states that lgautemy was occupied without resistance when Lopez abandoned his territory. The Prince and Paranhos were expected at Montevideo on their return. Advanced sheets have been forwarded to the American press of Mrs. Stowe's answer to her critics, which she calls "Lady Byron Vindicated." The press condemns the book, pronouncing it to be almost in worse taste than her former paper. She evades dates and proves nothing, says the New York Times, but she persists in recording herself as the authority for a revolting slander. The Herald pronounces her arguments to be weak and hor motives (those well understood by the Herald by the way) to make money or to gain notoriety by pandering to de praved tastes. The World also censures the book, and the Pall Mall Gazette has thought it worth while to pro cure through the cable a synopsis of the work. We admire the enterprise of our London contemporary, if not its choice of subjects, but we accept it as a harbinger of better things. The Quarterly Review disposed of Mrs. Stowe and her heroine, and the universal bslibf is that the story only benefited the poet at the expense of his wife, the opposite of what the authoress intended. " Lady Byron Vindi cated" ought to have been "Mrs. Stowe Vindicated," instead of vindicating either her friend or herself, the celebrated novelist appears only to have affixed the more tenaciously a stigma on both. LADTEUTISEMENT. I—Holloway's Ointment and Pills.— Misapplication Impossible.- It is quite possible, and very probable, that mistakes may occur in selecting the right drug from the pharmacopoe ; but Holloway's medicaments must be beneficial in all diseases, by reason of their puri fying, invigorating, soothing, and healing powers. The ointment is as well adapted for internal maladies as ex- ' 1 ternbl ailments. When ru bb ed upon the skin it penetrates 't to the underlying organs, over which it exercises the most salutary control by moderating or increasing activity as circumstances may require. Nothing can be more certain in repressing the l ong li st of terrible diseases arising from "catching cautious, cold," against whi c h mos t persons, h owever are at times powerless to guard. t it r i vEansmutNr.j—Avoid Medicinesl they always aggravate chronic complaints: but Du Barry's delicious health-restoring Revalenta Arabic& Food, which yields three times the nourish mentof the best meat, saves 60 times its cost in other remedies, and invariably restores perfect digestion, strong nerves, sound lungs, healthy liver, pure blood, refreshing sleep, functional re gularity, and energy to the most disordered or enfeebled. We ex tract a few out of the 68,000 cures:—" The Pope's health restored by Du Barry's Food. Cure No. 68,413. " Rome, July 21, 1866. 1 —The health of the Holy Father is excellent, especially since ,j abandoning all other remedies, he has confined himself entirely to Du Barry's Revalenta Arabic& Food, of which he consumer a plateful at every meal. It has produced a surprisingly bene . 1 flcial effect on his health, and his Holiness can no t pra i se th i s exce l lent food too highly. From the "Gazette du Midi, July 25 Cure ; No. 58,216, of the Marchioness de Brehan, of seven years' liver 1 complaint, debility, nervousness, with a ner v ous r digestion, con s t an t sleepl essness, an d r ip p ita lar n , wasting away, a b w zd ay, the most intolerable nervous agitation.." Cure No. 1,771; Lord ~ Stuart de Decies, Lord Lieutenant of Waterford, of many years' dyspepsia. No 49,832: " Fifty years' indescribable agony from 1 ep and nervousness, oly."—Cure N o Avomiting.—Maria J asthma, cough, constipation, flatulency, I d sp y a sp ms s , spas, sickness, 46,270: Mr. James Roberts, of Frimley, Surrey, of 30 years diseased lung§, spitting of blood, liver derangement, and partial deafness. Important Caution.—Beware of the many A unsavonry and more than sloppy imitations to which, without A authority. Baron Liebig's name is most audaciously attached. In tins, at 's lid; Ilb 2s 9d; 2 lb 4s 6d; 6 lb lls; 12 lb 225; 24 lbs 4 s.— t I so I iu BARI:Ws RuNILENTA ARA BICA CHOCOLATE Pownea is packed i n t i n can i s t ers: for 12 cups at 2 s, for 24 caps at 3s 6d, fo r 4 8 cups at 6s, for 28 8 cu ps at 30s, f or 576 cups at 55s — being about one penny per cup. The 30s and t 55 t i ns are sent free of carriage in England on receipt of Post Office Orden—. f BARRY DU BARRY and Co., No. 77, Regent - street, Lond on; and all Grocers and Chemists. t BIRTHS. HEARN—On the 14th Dec., at Madras, the wife of Major 6' of a son. Ticunou. Inspector -General of Police,E S_Ohnackthbourg2dll Jan ., at Harley Lodge, Harley road, Brompton, Lady Tichborne, the wife of Sir Roger a D. Tichborne, Bart., of a dough er. 1?RI A G NORTIIWAY—PULLER -On the Ist Jan., at St. Matthias' Church, William Northvvay, of Ceylon, to Elizabeth, eldest daughter of Thomas Fuller, of Old Deer Park, Richmond, Surrey. PARKER - FOTHERINGRAM -Oil tho 3d Jan., St. Mark's Church, Hamilton-terrace ; St. John's-wood, Richard Samuel Parker, of the firm o f P ar k er an d W att, of L ill e, to Mary, eldest surviving daughter of James Fothering ham, of Haddo House, 14, Maida-vale, W. , DEATHS. HARRisoN-- On the 3d Jan., at his residence, 2, Albany court-yard, Piccadilly, John Harrison, F.R.C.S., aged 62. WYLSON -On the 6th Jan., at 10, Florence-street, 'sling toil, James Wylson. Esq., architect. London : Printed and Pulilished by WILLIA II ANDREWS, of No. 19, Strand, Printer, at THE SUN Office, NO. 112, Strand, in the Precinct of the Savoy, in the County of Middlesez. Saturday, January 3, 1870. ni • hi Poi WI als nit of I fel VT, bi: es