The Sun.
London, England, 1863-05-14 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS,

TimEs.—lt is strange that there should be a sort
of good fesling between Russia and Italy. The
King of Sardinia made his political fortune a few
years since by joining a coalition against Russia in
the darkest hour of that empire's history. The
earliest victories of the Italian army were won at
the expense of Russian soldiers at the Tchernaya
and before Sebastopol. But a reconciliation has
long taken place, both parties being influenced, per-
haps, by a common antipathy to Austria, while the
Russians, though affecting Legitimist leanings,
have something like good will for a nation which is
asserting its rights against the spiritual tyranny of
the Western Pontiff. Hence, though the Italian
Note is most independent and manly in its tone, it
is answered in words of extreme courtesy. Italy
says that "public opinion, speaking through its
acknowledged organs," imposes on her Government
the duty of remonstrating. It is declared that" this
is not the first time that disturbances have taken
place in Poland ;" that " frequent insurrections,
which Russia has always succeeded in putting down,
have at short intervals devastated that unfortunate
country." " This proves," thinks Viscount Venosta,
" that the problem cannot be solved by force in a
radical and final manner." Prince Gortschakoff
answers that his august master has received with
extreme pleasure the friendly expressions in the
despatch, and then, with a kind of gentle reproach,
declares that these are in harmony withl.he friendly
sentiments of which Russia has given Italy patent
proofs. It is not without some skill that the Russian
then turns the Neapolitan question on the Italian
Government by saying that the latter has surely
had enough of political troubles to be aware
that the preservation of order is difficult when
insurrection is constantly strengthened from with-
out. And, as the Italian Government represent the
public opinion of its own country, the Czar must
also be inspired by the interests and principles on
which the Russian Empire and the public opinion
of Russia are founded. As far as one can judge,
there is a good deal of displeasure in the mind of
the Russian Minister that Italy, which has been so
recently acknowledged, and which has received much
moral support from the Emperor, should have joined
in rebuking him; but this feeling is not allowed to
check the friendliness of expression which Prince
Gortschakoff thinks ought to be in use between the
Czir and so vatuable an ally as United Italy. But
the true and sincere cordiality is reserved for the
Spanish Government. The Marquis de Miraflores
bad addressed the most courteous of Notes to Sr.
Petersburg, saying that he had been induced to
consider the indications made by the Government of
her Britannic Majesty, but that he would not give
counsel which the Emperor did not want. He re-
grets that the impatience of Poland has prevented
it from awaiting the continuance of the system of
concessions; but, as blood has been shed, his Go-
vernment, like the rest, hopes that Russia will be
as merciful as she can to those who will one day
admit their error. In return to this Prince Gort-
schakoff is full of the most friendly expressions, not
forgetting, however, to take notice that the Spanish
Cabinet is able to give good advice through its own
experience of political troubles. In this correspon-
dence the Russian Minister shows his skid in ad-
dressing each Government in the manner which is
likely to be most effective, without pledging himself
to adopt any suggestion or carry out any policy. A
general assurance, however, that a change of system
will be adopted in Polar.d pervades all these Notes,
and constitutes a promise which the European
Powers may justly consider binding on the Emperer.
PoST.—The arcane of a Pall-mall lodging-house
is seldom so curiously brought into public view as
in the trial we reported yesterday of Jordan v.
Gibson. It is said of a London housekeeper that
he seldom knows who his next door neighbour is.
But in a lodging-house in Pall-mall you do not
even learn the name or repute of the occupant of
the next floor. Judging from the outward re-
spectability of a house, and the convenience of the
street, you take up your quarters without mak-
ing the slightest inquiry as to the character of
your fellow-lodgers; you are content to conclude
that they are quiet and inoffensive people as your-
self. For a while everything goes well. At last,
however, you come back from the club you belong
to, with your latch-key in your pocket, at the quiet
hour of midnight, expect to take up your candle in
peace and go to bed. To your surprise you find
everything in uproar; an infuriated husband storm-
ing the doors, a wife screening herself ineffectually
trom the matronly scorn of a rigidly respectable
landlady, and an intruder, to complete the outrage
on your nocturnal tranquillity, actually locked up
in your bedroom ! If this is not enough to shut up
half the lodging-houses in London, and to send the
shares of all the joint-stock hotels to a premium,
we know not what is likely to produce such a re-
sult. The present case has doubtless been perused
by all our readers in our impression of yesterday,
and we need offer only the most cursory synopsis of
the case. Col. Gibbon, of the Royal Engineers, was
lodging at a house in Pall-mall, in which was also
lodging Mrs. Jordan, an actress, who was living in
a state of separation from her husband, Mr. Jordan,
an actor; though they had apparently been married
only so lately as 1858. Some bachelors of change
able dispositions have been withheld from the
estate of matrimony by their indisposition to com-
mit themselves to what is commonly held to be a
lifelong contract. But three or four years, it ap-
pears, were too much for Mr. and Mrs. Jordan ; for
they were already separated when the latter came
to live at the house of Mrs. Clarke, a lodging-house
keeper in Pall-mall. 13, fore the separation the
then happy pair contracted the acquaintance of the
well known Mr. Boucicault. With Mr. Boucicault
Mrs. Jordan entered, in course of time, into a thea-
trical engagement, and contrary, it would seem, to
the wishes of her jealous husband. By-and-bye,
" something" is said to have occurred—the event
is not more distinctly particularised which
led Mr. Jordan to separate from his wife.
Thus set comparatively free from strict ma-
trimonial obligations, it was suspected by Mr.
Jordan that Mr. Boucicault, who was his wife's
employer, had not only obtained her theatrical ser-
vices, but also alienated her affections. Accordingly,
he watched for the lady on her return at night,
made his way in, charged her with harbouring
Boucicault, and rushed up the stairs to find the de
linquent. The landlady, who had gone to her rest,
appears to have descended from her attic on the first
sound of the disturbance, just as Colonel Gibbon
was returning from his club. Her first act, of
course, was to claim the protection of her gallant
lodger against the two implacable enemies, who
were in possession of her house. To say the truth,
Colonel Gibbon was placed in a position of some dif-
ficulty, as he is now in a position of singular hard-
ship. With Mrs. Jordan's supposed paramour in
possession of his rooms, he was asked to clear the
house of Mrs. Jordan's husband, who had taken up
his post opposite the Colonel's room door, which was
securely locked from within. In the excitement
of the moment, the Colonel appears, legally speak-
ing, to have given the wrong man into custody.
Finding that Jordan would not leave the house, he
called on a policeman and gave him in charge. The
case was, however, rejected at the station ; but
before Jordan could return, the first intruder had
escaped from his peril; the lady found herself
alone, and the gallant Colonel resumed possession
of his rooms. An action accordingly is brought by
Jordan against Colonel Gibbon, and £25 damages
are awarded by a common jury, all of whom, we pre-
sume, are themselves jealous and uneasy husbands.
An application is to be made to set aside the ver-
dict. This application must turn chiefly on a ques-
tion of law ; but it is impossible to resist the conclu
sion that the result as it now stands is peculiarly
hard upon Colonel Gibbon. We have no sympathy
whatever with the " outraged feelings," as they are
termed, of a husband who is living in deliberate
separation from his wife. The cause of this
terrible strife—toace et armorum—has got off scot
free. He is indebted to the Colonel for his per-
sonal safety; while Jordan is equally indebted to
him for his removal from a scene which might other-
wise have terminated in violence. Mrs. Clarke, the
lodginghouse keeper, is also indebted to him for re-
storing the peace of her household ; and even Mrs.
Jordan herself for relieving her from the embarrass-
ing presence of the rivals. But Colonel Gibbon is
made to suffer for a somewhat indiscreet act, which
almost any man, however, would be led to commit
in the haste of the moment. The moral of the story
is, that people who live in hodgingbouses should
never take up the quarrels of the persons who keep
them, and hold themselves free of all responsibilities
on account of lodginghouse keepers' brawls.
DAILY NEWEL—It would be impossible, we are
assured, to form an adequate idea of the indignant
shame which was felt throughout the provinces of
of the Prussian monarchy when the insults which
M. Von Bismark addressed to the Chamber of Re-

presentatives were known, and-were iouni to have
remained unanswered. Loud and deep were the
expressions of anger against the Parliament and of
contempt against its President, who did not know
how to vindicate the honour of the Assembly over
which he presides. The Chamber, and every indi-
vidual member of it, have since been made to feel

and to know the sentiments of the consti went body.
The press, indeed, could not speak out, but letters
and remonstrances have been showered on the luek-

less Deputies, who were one and all made perfectly
ashamed of themselves. "pet yourselves broken or
dissolved, rather than continue to sit to be insulted,
and to remain a disgrace to the country." Such was
the universal tenor of the missives which the con-
stituencies of the provincial districts forwarded to
their too patient r3presentatives. They were all
smarting under the national lash, and eager to re-
deem their pusillanimity, when the War Minister,

' Von Roon, the most contemned, if rot the nin
obnoxious, of the ministerial faction, thought pr.
per to imitate and repeat his colleague M. c
Bismar Vs insolence towards one of the in°
eminent as well as moderate members of ti
Chamber, M. Von Svbel. The Preeidet
this time did his duty, called the Minister to orde
and an altercation ensued—for it is the cue of
tl
Prussian Minister to insult the national represents
tives, and at last the President put on his hat,
an
suspended the sitting. This firmness which shoo;
have been exercised in the case of M. ee Bismat
has come better late than never. Ministers declinf,
to attend the sitting when it was resumed. In trot'
the house was too hot for them. Parliament will
bear longer with them, nor they with Parliamen.,
They must, therefore, definitively adjourn or ane
dissolve without fixing any period of re-electiot
another breach of the constitution. This is the or
thing the Prussian Liberals desire—a complete tie
open breach between the Government and the F4l
liament. The Chamber claims to have done all all
was possible in a liberal sense. It had lately Pre
tested against the Russian alliance for the opressi°
of Poland, and its Commission had condemned tll
Cartel Convention for the giving up of fugitld
under the name of deserters. The last flagrant
.!
fiance of its authority has only cut short a eteri,
debate upon the four projects of military reorgancl
cation ; for although Ministers had the trnPuclends
to feel their way towards a grant of funds un,,e
the pretext of developing the Prussian navy, t"
were not listened to. They hoped that such an
peal to North German antipathy cowards Den,"1,40,'
mould filch some millions of florins from the
ber, In vain. Denmark may be odious, but BIT
mark is more odious still. Better let the Dan" base
their way than succumb to the Prussian roligibo
The real dispute is not, however, between the tr,
vernment and the Chamber. The whole eenliGht,
sees that the difference is irreconcilable, and: i
neither Crown nor Parliament can termilin'tehs
unless the nation itself intervene. 11°W„,feg
intervention is to take place or to TDB"' e
itself does not very clearly appear. But
ti
the necessity every one is convinced. The truhi
is, that it is no longer the King that is On hi
trial. His feeble obstinacy is known, and 0
moral inability to understand the saving virtnatb,
concession. It is the constitutional party, and
upper middle class composing it, that are on thiti
trial, now for the second time in Prussia within `O,
last fifteen years. Toey are accused by the deln,
crats of having spoilt and thrown away all 0
opportunities opened to them by the revolutten it
1848. They then lost Germany, They tat n°ll,o,
the same way, it is alleged, losing Pruseia%, t it
Gotha party undertook to unite Germany ; "ugly
order to unit() Germany by rallying it round rru
they should have first kept Prussia constitutinnio
They have failed ; and it is manifest that Pro of
failure has flung the rest of Germany await 100
elections in Bavaria, which have just taken P rti
display the Great German party, that is, the oily
of union with Austria, completely in the inkinee
and the ascendant. Wurtemberg is followinko
same course. And even the Northern States,tith
more aversion than ever to a "Narrow Union' "art
Prussia, and turn to France for political OP
and commercial alliance. The Prussian conatitu-del
has been shivered, Prussian ascendancy logo
the Prussian lead in the path of progress disnnien
So that King William is only too consistent too
he avows that a close alliance with and depen"Lo,
upon Russia is the only thing left for the dylo7oll
which he has almost denationalized. Unfortuen,`„o
whilst the Moderates and the ConstitutioenTsr
blame the Monarch and his ill-chosen adviser° oif
the irretrievable retrogression of Prussia. nnt %es
in its internal progress, but in its German infineol
the more advanced parties blame the Moderates 4 of
the Constitutionalists for displaying a total wand
of
both skill and courage. It was the deep inurlietti
this thorough liberal and patriotic party vit°,oei
heard throughout the land when the Chantuejance,
its President submitted to Bismarck's if:10%000
And whether the spirit which Mr. Bocktlin''Aeeta
has shown in putting down Von Roon will rel.sbe
his character and that of the Chamber reroalPtit;ber
seen. We should be glad to hear that the Cbt-t 011
had reinstated itself in public opinion, and th-,:t to
shades of its liberalism presented a united fo'oeto
the reactionists. It must not be disguised, 11°W-00
that the infatuation of the King is every. day °ratio
ing and strengthening a popular ultra-dem°co6o'
sentiment in the nation, and especially in the niT,c rieso
An eloquent demagogue has appeared who al: 04,
to address crowds and to preach doctrines that
well appal King William and the feudal partlool4
the King had eyes to see and ears to hear,bn sof
perceive that the Constitutionalists alone cal, the
him if there be yet time. And they are for 11""tioli
only and true Conservatives. But this is tn Doe'
the Prussian Stuart may come to recognise t""