The Sun. — London, England, 1870-06-23 00:00:00

THE LAD; EDITION of "THIS SUN" at W. smrrirs e Camden Stores," 78, Park-street, Camden- town. THE LATEST EDITM,4 of "THE ,SUN" supplied as soon as published, containing all the LA:TEST NEWS t.nd SPORTING INTELLIGENCE, by H W. HARRIS, Newspaper Agent, 4, Blackfriars-road London. V . 4 MOSES and SON, I ' • CORNER of MINORIES and ALDGATE. NEW OXFORD-STREET, CORNER of HART-STRENT. CORNER of TOTTENHAM-COURT-ROAD and EUSTON-ROAD. BRADFORD, YORKSHIRE. ri MOSES and SON'S PRICE LIST of E GENTLEMEN'S CLOTHING. Frock Dress Oxford Camb. Coats. Coati. Coats. Coats. Us. Ela. 17s. 18s. Ma. tos, 91s. 22a. 355. 35e. 2iis. 28s. 42.3. 4,1 d. 30s. 325. .50v. 505. 30s. 363. 08s. 00s. 425. 425. Also at Also at Also at Also at thprices . other prices. other prices other prices OPERAS, THEATRES, AND AMUSEMENTS. ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA, Covent-garden.—Esmeralda. 8.30 p.m. ITALIAN OPERA, Drury Lane.—Les Huguenots. 8.30 p.m. HAYMARKET—At Seven, Married Life. Home. Family Jars. ADELPHI—At Seven, The Robust Invalid. Free Labour. PRINCE OF WALES'S—At 7.30, Quite by Accident. M.P. Dearest Mamma, LYCEUM—At 7.30, His Own Rival, Breaking the Spell. At 8.30, Little Faust. OLYMPIC , At Seven,_Music hath Charms. At 8, Mary Warner. 1 ho ' Varsity Boat 'Race. GAIETY—At Seven, First Night. The Princess of Trebizonde. QUI,'EN'S—At Seven, My Wife's Dentist. 'Twixt Axe and Crown. VAUDEVILLE—Cupboard Love. Two Roses. Don Carlos. ST. JAMES'S -At Seven, Paul Pry. La Belle Sauvago WOODIN'S CARPET-BAG AND SKETCH BIM Egyptian Hall, Pic cadilly, every Evening (except Saturday), at 8; Saturday Morn iogs at 3 Admission is, 2s, 3s. CHRISTY MINSTRELS. St. James's Hall, Every Night, at 8 ; Wed nesdays and Saturdays, at 3 and 8 all the year round. ZO LOGICAL GARDENS, Regent's-park. Open daily ( except Sun days). Admission, is. ; on Mondays, 6d. Children under twelve, ed. MADAME TITSSAUD'S EXHIBITION, Baker-street, from 11 a.m. till 3.0 p.m., and from 7 till 10 p.m. Admission, Is.; extra 6d. ri MOSES and SON beg to remind the public 1...: 4 1• that the cheapness of an article depends entirely on its quality, and they venture to affirm that every article sold by them is on siderably , cheaper than what can be obtained at any other ho ise in England. E. MOSES and SON'S PRICE LIST of GENTLEMEN'S CLOTHING CONTINUED : Summer I Tourist Summer Dress Suits. Suits. Trousers. Trousers. 245. 245. 10s. 6d. 15s. • 28s. 28s. 12s. 6d. 16s. 6d. 365. 365. 14s. 18s. 403. 425. 15s. 6d. 21s. 455. 48s. 17s. 6d. 245. 555. 525. 20s. 265. Also at Also at • Also at Also at other prices. other prices. other prices. other prices by post are attended to with care and lity, and the easy and accurate system of self luced by E. MOSES and SON enablas them to iltless flt. ORDERS punctual measure introd guarantee a fat MOSES and SON'S PRICE Li 'l' ef F. BOYS' CLOTHING : Knickerbocker Suits. 13s. 6d , 16s. 6d, Brighton I Harrow Suits. Suits. 18s. 18s, 19s. 235. 235. 21s. 265. 265. 325. I 325. Also at ' Also at Also at Also at other prices. other prices, other prices. other prices. EMOSES and SON supply every description of . clothing, ready-made, or made to measure, for all ages, all occasions, and all classes : also Hosiery and Drapery, Hats and Caps, Boots and Shoes, and complete outfits for all climates. All Goods marked in Plain Figures. Any article exchanged if not worn or injured. List of Prices, with Rules for Self-measure, Patterns, and Fashion-sheet, gratis and post-free. E. MOSES and SON'S Establishments are closed every Friday evening at sunset till Saturday evening at sunset, when busi ness is resumed until Eleven o'clock. The following are the only addresses of E. MOSES and SON : LONDON. CORNER of MINORIES and ALI)GATE. NEW OXFORD-STREET, CORNER OF HART-STREET. CORNER of TOTTENHAM-COURT-ROAD and EUSTON-ROAD, COUNTRY BRANCH, BRADFORD, YORKSHIRE. f `ll-IRISTIE'S "PERISCOPIC" SPECTACLES, k., as recommended by Wollaston, giving more light, a wider field, and less strain upon the eyes.—GEORGE CHRISTIE, Manufacturer of the latest improvements in spectacles, reading lenses, &c., 25, Hanway-street, Oxford-street, W. NOTHING IMPOSSIBLE. AGITA AMARELLA restores the Human Hair to its pristine hue, no matter at what age. JNO. GOSNE LL 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, 3s each; also 55., 7s. ed., and 15s. each, includ ng brush. Red Bull Wharf, Angel-passage, 13, Upper Thames-street, Lon don, E.C. 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 decay, and imparts a pleasant fragrance to the breath. Price ls. ed Bed Bull Wharf, 93, Upper Thames street, London. THEATRE ROYAL, HAYMARKET. THIS EVENING, at 7, MARRIED LIFE; Mr Buckstone, Mr Chippendale, Mr How , . Mr Kendal, Mr Rogers, kfrs Chip pendale, Mrs Frank Matthews, Mrs E. Fitzwilliam, Miss C. Mil, Mrs Laws. After which, at 8.30. "HOME." Mr Sothern, Mr Chippendale, Mr Compton, Mr iluckstone, Jun.. Miss Ada Cavendish, Miss Fanny Gwynne, and Miss Caroline Hill. Concluding with FAMILY JABS. Mr Compton. ROYAL HOLBORN. Proprietor, Mr. J. S. SWEASEY. The Press have unanimously praised and acknowledged the entertainment provided at the above Hall for the Whitsun holidays to be the best in London. The Brothers Voltaire, the Champion Gymnasts, in their surprising performances, particularly their aerial leaps, extending the whole length of the Hall (nearly 100 feet), engaged to appear solely at this establishment ; Mr. H. Collard (Le Petit Sims Reeves), the miniature man, the smallest and sweetest tenor singer in the world, can be heard at this hall only ; Messrs. St. Albyn, P. Corri, and Miss Barrie have made an immense hit with their operatic selections ; Miss Georgina Smith son has returned to meet with fresh admirers ; Mr. Baldwin has supplemented the brilliant encomiums he has already received from the provincial press ; Miss Louie Sherring ton is received nightly with uproarious applause ; 31r. J. H. Milburn is an old favourite ; the Great Vance is not to be, heard elsewhere, excepting at his concerts : Mr. J. H. Ryley, and Madame Barnam, as comic duettists, have met with decided success; the acknowledged largest and best band in London. Bal cony, 6d.; stalls, is.; private boxes, 10s. 6d. ROYAL OLYMPIC THEATRE, Wych-street, Strand. S , le Lessee and Manaqir, Mr W. H. LisTor. LAST THREE NIGHTS of kiss BATEMAN as MARY WARNER, assisted by Messrs. G. Belmore,W. H. Vernon, Blake ley, Elliott. David Fisher; Mrs. Poynter and Mrs. W. H. List )n. In reply to numerous applications at the Box Office, and to prevent disappointment to parties deeirous of securing seats several weeks in advance, Mr, W. H. LisToN feels compelled to announce with r, Bret that, in consequence of previous arrant e ments, the br Want engagement o th's distinguish) d Artiste must POSITIVELY TERMINATE on SATURDAY, JUNE 25. Commencing with MUSIC BATH CHASMS. Concluding with THE 'VARSITY BOAT RACE. Box Office open from 10 till 5. LYCEUM THEATRE (under the management of Messrs Mansell). THIS EVEN ING, at 7.30, HIS OWN RIVAL Mr. F. 'Jharles and Miss L. Morgan. At 8, BREAKING THE SPELL. After which, at t. 30, LITTLE FAUST: Mr. T. Maclagan, M. Marius, Mr. . Aynsley Cook, Mr. Odell, and Mr. Wilmot; Mdlle. Debreux, Mesdames Lennox G cy, Lawson, Lee, and Emily Soldene. ROYAL STRAND THEATRE. Solo Lessee and Manageress, Mrs. wanborough. THIS ENENING, at 7 o'clock, LOVING HEARTS. Edward Tei /7 and Turner; Mesdames Burton a d Santley Followed by KENILWORTH. Messrs David James, 'Perry., Turner, and Fenton; Mesclatues tiant'ey, Anstiss, Goadall , Met calfe, and Moore. Messrs. V.AUDEVILLE THEATRE, STRAND.- Lessees—Messr, 11. J. Montague. D. James, and T. Thorne.--THIS EVENING, at 7 30. CUPBOARD LOVE, by F. Hay. After which, at 8, a new and original Comedy, in Three Acts, entitled TWO .11.0• ES. To conclude with the new and successful Burlesque. DON CARLOS; or, The Infante in Arms Supported by Messrs, H. J. Montague, 11. Irving, G. Honey, W. H. Stephens, and T. Thorne; Mesdames Nelly Power, Amy Faw sitt, T Lavin, and A. Newton. Doors open at Seven. Commence at 7.30. qiilE LATE EDITION of . THE SUN" , I4 Mr. BEAUMONT'S. " The Wellington," Wellingtou-strent, Strand THE SUN.—LATEST EDITION to be seen every Evening, at Eight o'clock, Mr. GILBIAICS, "The Wheatsheaf," High-street, Camden-town. MUSIC HALL, TB t 4 - A j g „i9l-1:,--1, k it , S tilt ------. -.-• 4+4* EVENING EDITION. LONDON, THURxSDAY, JUNE 23, 1870. The worst Commissioner of Public Works Eng land has ever had—surely a bold assertion, yet alas ! one which, in the words of the convivial chorus, " nobody can deny "—gave utterance only the other evening to a most disheartening announce ment. It was one that had reference to what is about the biggest blot—and that, too, is a bold assertion—in all London. A blot, moreover, in the very centre of the metropolis !—meaning that great howling wilderness of brickdust, and brickbats, and potsherds, and rubbish generally, and hoardings covered with posters coloured like the rainbow— situated midway between Chancery-lane and Drury lane, between Lincoln's-inn-fields, and that portion of the Strand which is bounded on the east by Temple Bar, and on the West by St. Clement Danes —in, other words, the site of the New Law Courts Are we ever to have them, those New Law Courts ? That was the inquiry put with not unreasonable curiosity, by Lord EUSTACE CECIL on Monday even ing. The answer vouchsafed by Mr. AYRTON being simply this, that " questions had arisen of a very complicated character which would take some time to solve in relation to the New Law Courts." Satisfactory, certainly ! after all this walking, and haggling, and wrangling we have had in regard to what came to be known, a year or two ago, as the Battle of the Sites. We seem altogether to be about as far removed as ever from anything like a definitive settlement of the diffi culty. We are listening eagerly for Mr. AYE TON'S explanation, when lo ! into our ears he pours this " leprous distilment." Not a glimmering of a notion will he afford anyone as to whether there is a hope of our having, sooner or 1 tter, any Law Courts at all. He merely gives us the certain prospect of a still further and a wholly indefinite procrastination. It c annot even be conjectured, from the enigmatical utterance of the Chief Commissioner, whether the Battle of the Sites may even yet be opened up all over again. " Questions have arisen of a most complicated character." What questions ? As to the rival claims of Carey Street and the _Embankment? As to any claims at all on the part of Howard-street, that at least, we may presume, is no to❑ger to be spoken of, we should conceive, even by a man—not " with throat of brass and adamantine lungs," but—with self-sufficiency of brass and ada mantine obstinacy like the Chancellor of the Ex chequer. It is simply preposterous, however, to suppose that the House of Commons would ever threaten the revival of the contention as to the whereabouts of the future Palace of Justice. The site bought, the site paid for, the site cleared, is the one upon which the New Law Courts are to be, and can alone now be erected. That we take it is to be regarded in this matter as the foregone conclusion long since arrived at, alike by the country and by the Legislature. Is Parliament helpless, by the way, in regard to the settlement of an such supposed difficulty as the oue hinted at by the Chief Commissioner? Gordian knots of this cobweb kind can surely be severed by the House of Commons—can surely be swept aside at its fiat, as by a legislative besom of destruction. Cannot the bricklayers and stonemasons be sent in, there, at once, or must we first of all rid ourselves of this in tolerable Chief Commissioner? FULLER details of the lamentable disaster near Newark afford no reason for any modification of the conclusions which the earlier news immediately sug gested. The great railway accident of 1870 is an example, not of ignorance, carelessness, or neglect, but of the utter fruitlessness of all precaution in the presence of certain accidental combinations. Death is so mixed up with life that by no contrivances can we precipitate the hostile ingredient, and leave pure certainty in any enterprise. Everything promised safety to these two trains. There was nothing defective in the arrangements for the conveyance of the excursionists. The goods train, too, was an unusually inoffensive specimen of its class. It contained no deadly compounds such as that which charred thirty bodies at. Abergele—its cargo was chiefly iron and potatoes ; and it was smaller than usual, for whereas a goods train on the Great Northern usually numbers about thirty-five waggons, the fatal train consisted of only twenty-eight. The truck which was the immediate cause of the accident was made to carry seven tqns, but it contained on Tuesday morning only half the quantity of load. When its axle gave way it had run but eighteen miles after being examined and greased. Here are a combination of circumstances not one of which is suspicious : but just at the moment when the excursion train approached the luggage train, the axle gave way, the wheel thus let loose ran backwards under the next truck, threw it off the line, and with it the remainder of the waggons. Thus some six trucks were thrown op to the adjoining line of rails, and at the same instant the excursion train dashed into them. A rail Way accident is always the work of a moment, but here the disaster itself, and the circumstances which led Olt, were all wrought in the space of a few seconds. So quickly was the entire massacre accomplished that the driver of the goods train knew not what had happened to his trucks before the excursion train ran into the disarranged mass, and this apparently purest of accidents was at an end. Mr. GILPIN was well primed with his subject 04, ,Tuesday night. He is wearied of the Unnatural amount of business which. is transacted in the House of Commons after midnight, and ho therefore moved a resolution that only unopposed motions be brought on after that SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVEMNG JUNE 23. 1870. hour. By careful industry Mr. GILPIN has collected a startling series of facts. The nuisance has been continually increasing. In March, April, and May of 1867 the House of Commons sat 40/ hours after midnight ; in the same three moat is of 1868, 36 hours; in the corresponding period of 1869, 45 hours; and in 1870, 661 hours. Mr. GILPIN'S details of what was done during May of this year are fearful : On May 2-3 the House sat till 2 o'clock, on the 3rd till 1, on the sth-6th till 2, on the 6th-7th two hours after midnight, on the 9th-10th two hours after midnight ; on the 10th, till 1.45 ; on the 12-13th, till 2 o'clock ; on the 13-14th, till 1.45 ; on the 16-17th, till 1.45 ; on the 20th, till 1.30 ; on the 21-22nd, till 3 ; on the 23-24th, till 1.15 ; on the 24-25th, till 2 ; on the 26-27th, till a quarter to 2 ; on the 27-28th, till 2 o'clock ; on the 30-31st, ti 112.45, meeting again at 12 ; and on the 31st, the House sat till 1.15. Mr. GILPIN believes that the illness, temporary and permanent, of so many Ministers is to be attributed to these late hours ; and it may be conceded, with-. out further argument, that this unnatural keeping of legislators from their families and their beds is much to be lamented. But the first consideration is the proper transaction of public business. Public business is not properly transacted even now, and the state of affairs would be much worse if the country were robbed of that great pro gress which is often made after midnight, when members are exhausted and can prate no more. Morning sessions are objectionable to men of business, and nobody seems disposed -to do any work after • July. The session is very shOrt, and therefore the sittings must be long. There is, however, one resource. The House might delegate a great deal of routine work, over which it now squabbles, to a paid body of competent men, reserving power of supervision to itself. Take, for instance, the Merchant Shipping Bill. This immense measure —it forms a large volume—is for the most part merely the codification of laws already enacted. Few points are likely to cause any difficulty. Why should it not be handed over to a body of competent jurists to dispose of in detail, leaving every disputed point to be settled by Parliament P As it is, this' measure was postponed last session, it will be postponed this session, and probably will fare no better in 1871—all from the want of time to ex plore such a mass of detail. There could be nothing lost, and much would be gained by getting outside assistance in the case of this and similar affairs of rou tine. Mr. Gilpin might then go home at a reasonable hour, and his " mutilated motion" would no longer be needful. IT is often noticed that representative Govern ment has flourished in Britain much more completely than in any other country where it has been tried. This success is no doubt in great measure to be attributed to the vast scope for grumbling which that system of rule affords. The British subject is a grumbling being ; representative Government suits• him to a nicety. Amongst such a large selection of officials some one is always going wrong and furnishing matter for animadversion. When the number of authorities is so extensive, it is easy to administer each one his dose without imposing unduly upon any individual. Now it is the Exchequer that is taken in hand ;. then the Home Secretary gets his turn ; and next the Telegraph Office is the chosen victim. Of all the various executive departments this latter has been the most successful; but its many triumphs do not save it from the consequences of one far from unqualified shortcoming. Surely the attitude of the public in respect of the delays and irregularities in the tele graph service is not altogether considerate. Seldom was a reform more needed, and at the same time more difficult to thoroughly accomplish, than the transfer of the telegraphs to the Govern ment. Previously to that change the great invention of the century had been but half utilised. A high rate for private telegrams made the sending of a message a luxury, and the receipt of one a grave and sometimes alarming event. A short and bad supply of news was the inevitable result of a monopoly. Upon the nation at large, in short, the electric telegraph was made to confer the smallest benefit at the greatest possible cost. The trans fer to the Post Office was arranged in the public interest, and it is beyond question that the public has gained by it. So entire has been the change accomplished, so vast has been the encouragement given to private telegraphy, and so largely is that encouragement turned to account, so great has been the advance in the supply of intelli gence, that it would appear as if we had been only ex perimenting with the telegraph hitherto, and that the invention was but just coming into general use. A low tariff and free competition in respect of news brought an increase of business which put all previous calcu lations to shame. The Post Office is in the position of an individual who, having purchased a business, and offering very favourable terms of dealing, finds his premises and fixtures altogether unequal to the work. These are considerations which we have more than once urged in connection with the delays and irre gularities so much complained of a short time ago. They apply with particular force to the greatly dis cussed defects in the Irish service. In the case of Ireland the difficulties of the Government have been greater, simply because the advantages it offered were much more decisive. Communication with Ire laud is partly submarine, and therefore more limited and difficult of extension than the connection between any stations in Great Britain. Under the old system the charge for telegrams across St. George's Channel was exceptionally high—three shillings the ordinary message. The uniform shilling rate brought down the Irish tariff to one-third of its former figure. The unexpected consequence of this large measure ofjustice to Ireland was an increase of not less than fourfold in the business done by the wires between the two islands. Where the accom modation was most imperfect the reduction was greatest, and the increase of business exceeded the ratio of the reduction. It was impossible to meet such an enormous accession without difficulty. The work was simply more than the machinery was equal to, and no exertions of the Government or of, the much esteemed and deeply lamented companies could make good the deficient appliances. A. gallon of liquid cannot be got into a quart measure ; a cistern cannot be emptied by a pipe of smaller force than that which fills it. But though the cause of the evil is thus simple, people persistently overlook it, and indulge, not in just representations, but in unmeasured complaints. One or two journals have gone so far as to print the exact text of* some telegrams, with their inac curacies of grammar and construction, misplaced capitals, and queerly contracted words, just as if the old companies secured excellent editing of telegrams, or as if any proprietors whatso ever' will be absolutely free from error. It is not to be expected that a large body of moderately educated and poorly paid persons, whose attention has to be given rather to literal than to literary accuracy, will display much skill in prose composition. When first-rate education be comes general, or when telegraph clerks receive the pay of educated persons, better results may be looked for. _ _ _ With respect to the point at issue it is important to bear in mind that the public gain much more than they can possibly lose. The reduction of charges and the improved service of news is perma• nent ; the inconvenience is temporary. Of course as the present shortcomings arise merely from defective capacity, the only remedy is to increase the number of wires, and this improvement, though a work of some time in the case of submarine lines, will be effected as soon as possible. It is true that the Post-office might have waited until its machinery was in better order before conceding a reduction. It must be borne in mind, however, that if no altera tion of charges were made in one part of the country, they could not be made in another, where the appli• ances were quite equal to the increased working. That the reduction was much needed is amply proved by the results which followed it ; the delays and irregularities arise from the favourable terms offered. If the reduction in Ireland had been only propor tionate to the reduction made in England the glut of business would not have arisen. Ireland com plains because she has been too highly favoured. TOPICS OF THE DAY. between Great Britain and France, sanctioned by Lord Lyons (on behalf of the Queen) and the Prince De la Tour D'Auvergne (on: behalf of the Emperor), in September last, have been published in a Parlia mentary paper. The new subsidy is described as an additional convention to the postal convention signed by the representatives of the two nations in Septem ber, 1856. The new provisions exact that letters sent Great Britain to France or Algeria weigh ing one third of an ounce British shall be charged threepence postage, and letters from France to England an equivalent fee in French coin. Letters addressed from Great Britain or Malta to French post offices established in Turkey, Syria, Egypt, Tunis, or Tangiers, will under the new regulations be charged sixpence postage for every third of an ounce British. The same allowance in French coin to be collected for letters transmitted in the contrary direction. THE EDUCATION BILL. The protests against the Education Bill in its amended form multiply with a rapidity that augurs danger for Mr. Forster's measure. The executive of the London branch of the National Education League has passed a resolution, in which it is stated that " the committee views with deep regret the proposals of Mr. Gladstone to increase and extend State aid to denominational schools, a course which would logi cally lead to the concurrent endowment of all reli gious bodies so far as relates to their school teaching, and, consequently, to overthrow of the national system in Ireland." The League sees, in•this, a deplor able violation of the fundamental principle of religious liberty, and it believes, so far from tending to pro mote national education, the scheme would place fresh difficulties in the way. The committee of the League is further of opinion that " it would be far better to postpone legislation than to suffer the present bad bill of the Government to pass." The London Nonconformist Education Committee bases its opposition to the additional amend ments on the fact that " they do not make any con cession to the legitimate demands of Nonconformists, but, on the contrary, aggravate the objectionable features of the bill, inasmuch as they extend and perpetuate the denominational system by increasing the grants of the Privy Council to denominational schools to the extent of 50 per cent., and, in defiance of repeated protests, sanction the principle of sectarian teaching in rate-supported schools in one of its worst forms." Seeing that all compromises have failed, the committee has come to the opinion " that the only possible solution of the religious difficulty lies in the complete severance of secular from religious teaching in the national schools, and the restriction of the work of the State to secular education." The Nonconformist Committee is at one with the League in urging the postponement of legis lation on the subject, rather than that the present bill should become law. BRIBERY AND THE BALLOT. The unseating of Mr. Robinson for bribery com mitted at the test ballot, previously to the last Bristol election, so much elates the Standard that it cannot forbear returning to the pleasing topic. It is now clearly proven, sap the Conservative journal, that the Ballot, is no safeguard against corrup tion. And there can be little doubt that it is a safe guard of only a very poor description. Nor is the reason far to seek. It is clear that candidates will bribe men, and trust to . their honesty at the ballot ; and the experiment was successful in the case of Mr. Robinson, at Bristol, for he bribed at the test ballot and got a large majority. When once a man has sold his vote, it does not follow that he will break faith also. As a rule a voter will not care to incur the double guilt of corruption and lying. Moreover, there are many persons who fancy that they do no wrong in selling their vote, but who would be indignant at the notion of playing false afterwards. THE NEW LAW COURTS. The temperature at present is not conducive to activity, but the public has some reason to complain of the ex trardinary apathy which delays the erection of our long promised Law Courts all the year round. Many a long year has passed since the absolute necessity for their con struction was clearly . demonstrated. Parliament ratified the decision arrived at after a long strugle, but one of the Inns of Court stood in the way. After a year had been wasted, the oppo-. sition was withdrawn, and the Act became law; but the preliminary work was not finished, for the fierce dispute as to the rival merits of Carey-street and the Thames Embankment commenced with full vigour. One side argued that a good site was the first consideration in a work of a national character. The other contended that the Carey-street site was bought and must therefore be used. Mr. Lowe, always rejoicing in difficulties, found a way to reconcile the disputants by insisting on a site which the malcontents agreed to be the worst yet suggested. Finally it was decided-that the original Carey-street design should be adhered to, and we all expected to see the work begin. We were, however, too hasty. Mr. Ayrton tells Lord E. Cecil that questions of a very complicated character have arisen in respect to the New Courts of Law, which will take some time to solve. As if anything connected - with English law could be otherwise than complicated and interminable ! There is one advantage : the engineer is hoist with his own petard, and the irritated and disappointed legal fraternity may now understand something - of the pleasures of legal delays. THE ABDICATIONS AT THE ADMIRALTY. It is very strange indeed, that within one week, one officer, Rear Admiral Cooper Key, should be ordered snmmarily by the Admiralty to join the Mediter ranean Squadron, in return for his exhibition of an independent spirit, while two other officers, one of whom cannot easily be replaced, are stated to have tendered their resignations in consequence of some new unpleasantness in that department. The report of Mr. Reed's abdication is not understood by the public. According to an estimate made seine time since by Mr. Childers, he is worth to the nation a million of money. His political sympathies are Gladstonian, and although it was the Conserva tive Ministry who conferred upon him his Commandership of the Bath, the Liberals have not been blind to his services, and it is only a few days since that they ordered an extra five thousand pounds to be granted to him for his labours as chief constructor of iron-clad ships. The Times explained some days since, when commenting on the extraor dinary manner in which Rear-Admiral Key was treated, because he objected to Whitworth ord nance and told tales about anchors ,and contractors, that a spirit of subservience was the quality most encouraged by the Admiralty. The chief constructor stands very much alone in his office, and he can advise as l►e wishes with regard to the form and build of English war vessels ; it is, therefore, hardly credible that he can have failed in subserviency. He has certainly been persistent in his advocacy of the broadside type of ironclad, and he may have hastily demurred when he was expected to recognise the advantages of the Government idea of amalgamating broad sides and turrets. It is in a nutshell that the difference lies, and knowing the worth of Mr. Reed to the State, the public have only to believe that some incompatibility of arranging matters alone has led to his resignation. It is much to be desired under all cir cumstances that the announcement of the resigna tions, having been completed, may yet be, as the Dailg News anticipates, premature. POSTAL CONVENTIONS WITH FRANCE. The particulars of the new postal arrangements THE WELSH FASTING GIRL. The inquiry instituted by the Government with reference to the death of the girl Sarah Jacob in Wales, has cost the State six hundred and odd pounds. A return' giving full particulars of the expenditure in the case has been printed by order of Parliament, and from it we learn that the costs to counsel for advice, briefs, for attending before magistrates, and for rail way fare amounted to £l6O. People will not grumble against tlieEe items when they remember the brilliant lawyers that were engaged by the Crown. The pay ment of witnesses, however, does appear in some in stances to be exorbitant. The vicar of Llanfihangel, whose testimony, if we remember rightly, did not assist the magistrates in any remarkable manner, is paid for eight days' attendance,the cost of which, added to payments for travelling expenses, is set down in the return at £9 12s. The clergyman's travelling ex penses are, however, trivial when compared to those demanded on behalf of each of the nurses. These dames were each paid 15s. daily as witnesses for fifteen days, and the sum allowed to ead for railway fare was £6 10s. It is to be presumed that they went to and from Carmarthen always in first class carriages, and that they were, in consideration of the highly charitable manner in which they acted towards the sick girl, on no account allowed to walk a step to or from the court of inquiry. ROYALTY AT DULWICH. An interesting ceremony has taken place at Dulwich under the auspices of the Prince and the Princess of Wales. The " College of God's Gift" owes its origin to the generosity of Edward Alleyne, and its name has been often before the public in con nection with the administration of its revenues. It has now been formally opened by his Royal Highness. The beauty and admirable arrangements of the building excited general enthusiasm. The usual observances of the yearly celebration were gone through, the chief variation in the programme being a commemoration ode, in which due honour was rendered to Alleyne for his munificence, and to the Prince_ of Wales for his courtesy in attending. Prizes having been distri buted, the Principal, the Rev. Dr. Carver, reminded those presentthat the charter of the college was signed on the longest day in 1607, and told of the good results which followed from the bestowal of scholarships on persevering scholars. Afterwards came a luncheon and the usual ldyal toasts, the Prince of Wales re turning thanks for his health in an appropriate speech, in which he spewed that he had been carefully examining the antecedents of the college since he reminded his hearers that Alleyne, the founder, was bear-keeper as well as actor to Queen Elizabeth, of famous memory. Altogether the inauguaration of the college, despite the excessive heat of the weather, passed off with unflagging spirit. A NOVEL EXPERIMENT. The negro boy who wanted to be white, and for that purpose consented to subject himself to a periodical whitewashing, was a Solomon in compari son with some of our scientific wiseacres who are try ing to introduce a mottled race into the world. From the white Caucassian to the ebony African surely there are intermediary shades enough to please all tastes, without introducing another bone of contention to future philosophers. And yet, if report is to be believed, this is what has been done in one of our hospitals. It is stated that in order to solve the question whether a portion of the skin of a negro would, if applied immediately after excision, adhere to a raw surface of a white purson, and, if so, whether dark colouration would extend to the surrounding skin, an experiment has been made in the following manner : A circular piece of skin was cut out of one of the shoulders of a negro, and immediately placed upon the sore of a child, and for this unnecessary cruelty the negro was rewarded with a sovereign. Of coursa some excuse had to be made for removing the poor fellow's skin, and his feelings were enlisted in the cause by an impudent tale that the operation would save the life of the child. If there is any truth in the affair, it is one that demands punishment, and it is to be trusted that the governors of the institu tion will take steps to prevent the recurrence of such a barbarous proceeding. BABY-FARMING. Mr..Conolly, a surgeon residing at Wood Green, states that years ago he answered about fifteen ad vertisements and received replies, asking for particu lars respecting children who were to be " adopted." Three of these came from Camberwell" and Brixton, giving real names and addresses, and the offers were made in the most cool and business-like way. The terms were moderate, only £lO, and this small amount included expenses to mother, getting rid of the child, if it lived, &c. The words if the child lived were underlined, as if to draw attention to the peculiar meaning of the phrase. Mr. Conolly says that if the police were ever in earnest, they could have easily broken up such a system, as there was no attempt at disguise. He likewise states that a medical man who was connected with one of the " adopting institutions " sent bim his card. Perhaps Mr. Conolly may not feel it beyond his duty to society to publish the name of the gentleman who shared in the proceeds of these dens of crime. That the police authorities were perfectly aware of the existence of these places is beyond doubt. Not more than a month ago a London daily paper was in the constant habit of publishing two advertisements, in which the matter was set out in terms too plain to be misun derstood. It has been suggested that a short Act of Parliament should be passed to check baby-farming; but there is no reason to believe that the powers of the police are insufficient *to stay this vile and horrible practice. DENOMINATIONAL OR SECTARIAN. While gentlemen of the House of Commons are working themselves up to fever heat on the subject of education, it may be well to give an illustration of the practical results of the laissez faire system. This is supplied by a correspondent of the Times, and theorists fresh from the controversial atmos phere of our legislative chamber, may read almost side by side with their carefully prepared disquisitions a plain commentary on the education of our rural population. Hiding through some fields in Hert fordshire, the attention of the correspondent in ques tion is called to a boy 10 or'll years of age, who has been caught in a farmer's orchard. The boy and his elder brother had stolen the cherries, broken the trees, and killed two turkeys. The farmer is puzzled what to do with the young culprit, and asks the gentleman's advice. Then follows the ensuing dialogue :—" Do you go to school ?"—" No." Does your elder brother go to school?"—" No." " Have you any other brothers or sisters P" " Yes." " Do they go to school ?" " NO." " Can any of you rein or write ?"—" No." " Are your father and mother living ?"—" Only my father." " What does he do ?"—" Anythinc , he can get." " And what do you and your brothers and sisters do ?"—"Father turns us out of a morning, and if we don't bring something home ha won't let us have anything to eat." On subsequent inquiry it was found that neither the father nor any of his family could read or write, that none of them e - rer went to school; that the father had been in pr)9on many times, and most of the children frequently—in fact, that these candidates for penal servitude were in as deplorable a condition as though they were fie sub jects of some dusky king in the innermost recesses of benighted heathendom. Meanwhile the wordy war goes on. COMMEMORATION AT OXFORD. Commemoration week at Oxford would b 6 thorn of half of its pretensions, if the day devoted to the conferring of degrees were omitted from the pro gramme. The opportunity which it gives to the undergraduates to pass their opinions on men and manners is utilised after the most approved fashion, and the lungs of the young students who fill the gallery of the Sheldonian Theatre a exercised in a way that would amaze people of a let robust constitution than the English. Complaints hay been frequently made that these displays are carried tc excess, but on Tuesday if there was much noise, them does not seem to have been any practical joking. The ladies in blue and the ladies in pink, the young ladies and the old ladies, the married ladies and the unmarried ladies, were cheered with an impartiality and a gusto that left it hard to decide on their com parative degrees of popularity. But woe to the unfor tunate wight who, forgetful of the proprieties, dared to intrude upon the stage in other than the regula tion sartorial adornments. A red rag is not more provocative of the ire of a wild bull than a coloured coat is'offensive to the critical eye of young Oxford on the first day of Commemoration. The gentleman who had committed the unpardonable indiscretion of donning a white coat was on Tuesday the subject of much indignation, and the cries of " Mad dog," " Turn him out," " You had better go at once, sir," accompanied by the groans and hisses of the hundreds who were in the gallery, must have been anything but pleasant. Luckily, another subject was discovered in the area with a straw hat, and the attention of the audience was immediately directed to its possessor. Then followed groans for Blackwood and cheers for Disraeli. The Prince of Wales was not much favoured, but the mention of the Princess of Wales was followed by hearty cheers. Divinity was received with favour, but at the names of Mr. Bright and Mr. Lowe there was a difference of opinion, and poor Mr. Goldwin Smith was unmercifully tabooed. " Culture " was a decided favourite, and as its chief representative was one of the recipients of a degree, he received an ovation of a marked kind. Among those whom the University had considered worthy of honour were Sir Edwin Landseer and Sir Francis Grant, and the representatives of art were loudly applauded. The ceremony concluded, the crowd soon left the place to enjoy themselves in as pleasant, if less demonstrative a manner. THE AMERICANS ON CHARLES DICKENS. The news of Charles Dickens's death produced the greatest consternation in America. Two days after wards the papers appeared with full particulars of his career, and minute criticisms of his works. These are written with spirit and eloquence, and display a just appreciation of the works of the great author. The New York Tribune says it is the glory of Charles Dickens that he has acquired such a mastery over the" human heart that his ideal men and women became the personal friends of the reader. The Herald observes that so far as the Americans are con cerned, the mistakes of his first visit were fully repaired in his second, and that many Amen cans can testify to the social qualities of the man, and the hospitalities they shared in his house. It believes that the world wide fame of Dickens consists in his graphic descriptions of low life, and in his everyday living characters, both good and bad. The New York Times declares that the death of a man like Charles Dickens seems to create a blank in our exist ence. Those of middle life have " grown up, " as it were, with him, and he was espe cially regarded as the novelist of the house hold. The world is not quite the same after a man of such genius is taken from it. Another account declares that the news of his death touched the hearts of the people as the death of no author ever touched a people's heart before. The loss of no man, Abraham Lincoln, perhaps, excepted, has carried mourning into so many families, and been so deservedly lamented in all ranks of society. The death of such a man must be regarded as a universal misfortune. THE FRENCH TREATY AND THE COTTON TRADE. We have, as yet, by no means succeeded in con vincing the majority of the French nation of the advan tages of free trade; but we may hope the evidence laid before the commission of inquiry, now sitting in Paris, will remove many long-stand ing prejudices. The import and export of cotton has been one of the chief points of inquiry, and three delegates from the Manchester manufacturers have been laying the results of their experience before the inquirers. The Treaty has not proved so advantageous to them as they expected, since while the price of the raw mate rial, the machinery, and the fuel is less in England, the price of labour is much higher and the hours of labour shorter. The goods traffic on the French railways is very slow, and goods sent from Boulogne to Paris are ten days on the road, while those sent from Man chester to London are only thirteen hours. M. Mich eIC h evalier, the well-km:4n polititical economist, has addressed a long letter to the Journal des Debats on the question of temporary admissions. He says it is not only the cotton-printers who declare they are ready to run the risk of free trade for their goods, provided that they can purchase their raw material free of duty. The net-makers of Calais hold the same language. •" Give us," they cry, " spinning cotton without duty, and we will agree to admit English nets duty free also." The muslin workers of Tarare express similar views in respect of their particular branch. Commercial monopolies, says M. Chevalier, which originate in the restrictions of the Custom House, must come to an end like other monopolies, and the only monopoly which the Protectionists are likely to retain is that of personal and malioious polemics. ENGLISH MUSIC AND FOREIGN JOURNALS..--The indifference of foreign journalists to every item of English musical news, save and except an occasional note on opera, is to us one of the oddest " things of the time." Not an organ opening, however important the instrument—not a concert, unless that of some publisher who is haply en rapport with the foreign paper—not a notice of an English publication —not &sine() allusion to any of the numerous topics of almost vital import to English musicians—finds a space, even of a few lines, in the pages devoted to the chronicling of the small beer of every Parisian cafe chantant or minor theatre in the provinces. Englandmight well be two thousand miles from Paris (or even at Timbuctoo) for the intelligence displayed by our neighbours in their scant allusions to our musical affairs. Our isolation in this was strangely shown, indeed, by the verdict passed by a foreigner upon one of our greatest geniuses. who by the self-sufficient Bel gian biographer was ticketed as "a musician of some merit," and credited with the authorship of a work pub lished by another of the same name long before the greater man was born !—Musical Standard. DUNVILLE and Co., Belfast, are the largest holders of whisky in the world. Their Old Irish Whisky is r ommended by the medical profession in preference to French brand . sup plied in casks and cases for home use or exportation. Quotations on application to Messrs DUNVILLE & Co., Royal Irish Dis tilleries, Belfast ; or at their London Offices, 4, Beaufort Building° Strand, W.C. 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